Locked up before judgment: The human and financial costs of pretrial detention
Summary
In Nepal, over 10,000 individuals remain in pretrial detention, leading to significant human and financial costs, with calls for legal reforms to align detention practices with international human rights standards.
Key Points
- Over 10,000 people in Nepal are currently held in pretrial detention across various prisons.
- Annual direct costs for detainees in Nepal amount to approximately Rs 520 million, contributing to over Rs 1.73 billion spent on prisoners nationwide in FY 2024/25.
- Legal experts and reports highlight contradictions and loopholes in Nepal's detention laws, urging reforms to ensure bail as the norm and detention as an exception.
- Judicial precedents emphasize that pretrial detention is an interim measure, and courts should clearly justify detention necessity while respecting defendants' rights.
