Kathmandu: The House of Representatives (HoR) has passed the much-anticipated Bill on Transitional Justice (TJ), which seeks to amend the Commission for Investigation on Enforced Disappeared Persons and Truth and Reconciliation (Third Amendment) Bill, 2081 BS.

Presented by Minister of Law, Justice, and Parliamentary Affairs Ajay Kumar Chaurasiya, the Bill represents a crucial step forward in Nepal’s ongoing efforts to resolve transitional justice issues that have remained unresolved for 18 years since the signing of the Comprehensive Peace Accord (CPA).

Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli emphasized the government's commitment to enacting the Bill into law within the next ten days. Following its passage in the lower house, the Bill will now proceed to the National Assembly for consideration.

Upon approval by the National Assembly, the Bill will be certified by the Speaker and sent to the President for final assent. Once the President's approval is obtained, the Bill will officially become law.

The Bill was initially introduced in the House of Representatives on March 9, 2023. Before its passage by the Law, Justice, and Human Rights Committee of the House, the leaders of the three major political parties—Nepali Congress, UML, and Maoist Center—reached an agreement on previously contentious issues within the Bill.

The United States, European Union, and Switzerland have welcomed the HoR's endorsement of the Bill, which amends the Enforced Disappearances Enquiry, Truth, and Reconciliation Commission (Third Amendment) Act 2024. This amendment is expected to reinvigorate Nepal's long-stalled transitional justice process.

After deliberations on the Bill, Speaker Devraj Ghimire put it to a vote, where it was passed by voice vote, marking a significant advancement in addressing the country's transitional justice challenges.