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Home » Nepal's Constitution

The Interim Constitution - Nepal's Current Constitution


The Interim Constitution was passed on January 15 2007. It replaced the 1990 Constitution. There are various news websites that relate the history of the drafting and passing of the Constitution (see general news websites for Nepal - click here). A legal website with a good deal of material on this is "Jurist" based at the University of Pittsburg (type "Nepal" into search box). The Constitution has been amended twice. You can find the Nepali text, including the amendments by clicking here, and the English translation (as revised by CASU) by clicking here.

This is the second time that Nepal has had an Interim Constitution. The last one came into force in 1951 and lasted for 8 years! For the text of that Constitution in English click here.

The purposes of the Interim Constitution are to:
  • Provide a framework for a system of government to last until there is a new, permanent constitution for the country
  • To provide the mechanism for making that new Constitution - and the principal, but not the only, part of that is the Constituent Assembly

If you are interested in why countries have interim constitution there is a brief discussion here.

What is in this website on the Interim Constitution of Nepal?
You can find: Comments by CASU on the Interim Constitution as passed in January:
Link to website of the Interim Constitution Drafting Committee (material in Nepali only)

Links to submissions made to the Committee preparing the Interim Constitution

Note: apparently about 5000 submissions were made. A few of these are available on the internet. If you know of any others, please let us know. These are useful in giving an idea of the issues that groups are likely to raise for the final constitution. They may also be helpful for groups that have never prepared a submission on a matter like this.

Dalits, Development and Law, Nepal, A Final Report on Inclusion of the Dalits' Rights under the Interim Constitution of Nepal (2006)

Blue Diamond Society (for sexual minorities), Recommendations for Interim Constitution Drafting Committee

Common Suggestions to Interim Constitution Drafting Committee from General Federation of Nepalese Trade Unions (GEFONT), Nepal Trade Union Congress (NTUC) and Democratic Confederation of Nepalese Trade Unions (DECONT)

Citizens' Campaign for Democracy and Social Transformation "Citizens' Memorandum Submitted to the Speaker of the House of Representatives Honorable Mr Subhash Chandra Nemwang" (on Human Rights Day 2006)

"Suggestions given to the Interim Constitution Drafting Committee by INGOs working in environment and biodiversity conservation, and sustainable development" on the WWF website at

Links to other comments on the Interim Constitution

Freedom Forum Nepal and Article 19 (an NGO devoted to issues of freedom of speech) Comment on the Freedom of Expression and Information Provisions in the 2007 Interim Constitution of Nepal February 2007

Tek Tamrakar, "Nepal Interim Constitution 2007 and New Constitution: Social Inclusion"

International Commission of Jurists Comments in English

International Commission of Jurists Comments in Nepali

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