restorative justice center

ACADEMIC ACTIVITIES DURING YEAR 2005-06

First Year

Through tough entrance examination altogether 15 Law graduates including members of various governmental, non governmental and constitutional bodies were enrolled for the first year. Former Attorney General Sushil Panta and Dr. Shankar Kr. Shrestha were invited as external experts for screening the applicants.

The session commenced after a five days residential program on Legal Research in Nagarkot. This program was aimed to intensively familiarize the law graduates with the idea of empirical research and to impart skills on field research activities. During the program Mr. Sukdev Sapkota presented a research report on behalf of Criminal Law and Justice Students on the topic ‘Awareness on the Child Marriage in Balupati V.D.C. of Nagarkot’.

During the first year of the program, students developed a thorough and critical understanding on the subjects of Criminal Law, Forensic Evidences, Juvenile Justice, Legal Research and Comparative Study of Legal System.

Wider academic interactions on respective subjects were also held through paper presentations and discussions with visiting academicians, forensic experts, police professionals, judges and attorney generals.

As an educational field visit, students were taken to National Forensic Science Lab Khumaltar and National Police Training Academy Maharajgung. Similarly the first year students also visited Kathmandu District Court, Bhaktapur District Court, District Police Office Katmandu, Commission on the Investigation of Abuse of Authority (CIAA), Patan Appellate Court, Judicial Training Academy and Office of the Registrar of the Supreme Court for conducting a group research on De-Criminalization of poverty in Nepal.

Second Year

A total of 13 students appeared for the second year program. The academic course of the second year began from July 1st Mr. Ram Pd. Aryal topped the CLJ Program in the first year securing 67 %.

During the second year, students took part in a number of academic discussions held on the subjects relating criminology, penology, victimology, organized crime, fair trail, and international criminal courts. Students made observation visits to Bhaktapur District Police Station, Central Prison, and Women prison of the valley.

In addition to their prescribed course and interactions with visiting faculties, students are working as interns in the following institutions in order to enhance their learned knowledge and skill:

ACHIEVEMENTS

International Field Visit by Students of CLJ Program

Mr. Mohan Bdr. Karki, Joint Attorney who is studying in Criminal Law Program in KSL represented CIAA in the 12 Days Anti Corruption Study Tour to Australia and Malaysia from 23rd July to 4th August, 2005. This study was supported by USAID Nepal. The objective of this study tour was to acquire knowledge on the functioning of Anticorruption Agencies like Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) of Australia, Asia Pacific Group on Money Laundering (APG) and Anti Corruption Agency (ACA) of Malaysia. Mr. Karki made a brief presentation and shared his experiences in KSL after his return from the visit.

Mr. Ganesh Shrestha who is studying in the said course and also holds the position of Vice President in Nepalese Youth Lawyers Association participated in the 5th Advocate Asia International Program held in Singapore from 24th –26th Nov 2005. Lawyers from 18 countries participated in the Conference that focused on enhancing the dignity of Legal Profession on the region by promoting litigant lawyers in the field of social development. His visit was beneficial for the students and faculty to learn about his experiences during the visit.

Seminar on Over- viewing Criminal Justice System and Criminal Law from Human Rights Perspectives

Restorative Justice Center conducted a seminar on Over- viewing of Criminal Justice System and Criminal Law from Human Rights Perspectives on 11th June 2005 at KSL Seminar hall. The program critically discussed and analyzed the criminal justice system of Nepal, and made conclusion of its deteriorating standards. The seminar suggested the Government to immediately intervene in the situation. Students of LL.M Criminal Law and Justice group participated in the program.

Students Participation In Asian Post Graduate Course in Victimology in Japan
Students of the LL.B IV year Ablisha Risal, Samikchya Baskota and Ramesh Kr. Bista participated in the 6th Asian Post Graduate Course on Victimology organized by Tokiwa University Japan in association with the world society of Victimology from 1-12 August, 2005. Law graduates from 11 countries were the participants of the program. Experts from different countries were invited as resource persons.

Cross Cutting Review: Access to Justice Program

Planete Infants in cooperation with Restorative Justice Center organized a Cross-Cutting Review Access to Justice Program at KSL. The program disseminated the research report prepared by Mr. Roger Whybrow on his two weeks visit to Nepal. He identified some of the areas where reform in the criminal justice system could be made. The report was presented by Binay Jha, Chief of Community Police Center, Boudha. Ms. Stephanie Delle, Mr. Yubaraj Sangroula, Mr. Sunil Nanda, AIGP Dr. Govind Pd. Thapa, Mr. Vinay Jha, Mr. Richard Miles and Mr. Gyanendra Kafle participated as the panelist for the Program

One Day seminar on Organized Crime and Preventive measures

Restorative justice Center of KSL held a seminar on Organized Crime and Its preventive measurers on 14th August 2005. Mr. Richard Miles an International Expert in the areas of ‘Organized Crime’ facilitated the session and Vinay Jha, chief of Community Police Station, Boudha was invited as a guest speaker. All students of the LL.M first year, second Yr. and LL.B IVth year participated actively in the discussion program.

Student’s Participation in 3 Days Fair Trial Training

Second year students of Criminal Law and Justice Program along with the participants from National Human Rights Commission, Attorney’s General Office and Nepal Bar Association participated in a three days training program on Implementation of Fair Trial Rights organized by Center for legal research and development (CeLRRd) in cooperation with Restorative Justice Center. This training program extensively focused on the concept of fair trail, rights of the accused, independence of judiciary, monitoring of fair trial norms, victims compensation, use of scientific evidences in all stages of fair trail, legal aid and legal defense and the international instruments on fair trial norms

UPCOMING PROGRAMS

Initiation for Doctorate Program

A number of teaching faculties involved in Criminal Law and Justice Program possess extensive experience in this field. With their research expertise and guidance CLJ program is planning to initiate a PhD program for interested scholars .

Enrolment of International Students

The curriculum of this program has been acknowledged as one of the best courses designed in Asian Region. Hence the faculty expects to expand its academic services to international students.

Reforming of Criminal Justice system

The Restorative Justice Center of KSL has been planning to conduct extensive research and training program to police officers, lawyers, court officials regarding the reforming of the criminal justice system of the country. It has initiated working relations with DFID for the implementation of the project that plans to strengthen the present criminal justice system by replacing the confession based proceedings through injecting evidence based prosecution and adjudication during the court proceedings. Similarly, improvements in the field of recording and reporting of crime and establishing of a preliminary Forensic Science Laboratory in KSL are also the areas of priority for criminal justice reformation. Various national experts along with invitation of resource person and participants from SAARC countries and experts from UK are under the agenda of this project.

International Study Exchange Program

KSL being the Secretariat of South Asian Law School Forum for Human Rights (SALS Forum) has established international relation with many Law schools in SAARC countries, Asia and USA. Hence for the coming session, the center has planned to expand its academic policy by inviting International Experts as visiting faculties and international students as researchers. Similarly, the center is planning to place its students as researchers in foreign Universities.

Free Legal Aid/Counseling to residents of Dadikot VDC

Since its establishment KSL has been providing free legal aid to indigenous prisoners and women victims. Similarly, in cooperation with Victims Legal Aid and Prisoners Legal Aid Clinic of KSL, the center has planned to provide legal aid and counseling to the people residing in Dadikot V.D.C. This service will be expanded through mobilizing the students of LLB and LL.M as to follow criminological research in order to establish Dadikot VDC a Violence Free Zone.