Justice beyond reach
The justice delivery system has not been able to deliver justice to the victims of organized crime because of the state’s failure to ensure protection of the victims as well as the witnesses.
The Constitution of Nepal 2015 has provisions for the protection of the victims as well as the witnesses, but the inability to ensure their protection means the latter contradicting their own statements given while moving the court of law. This makes it harder for us to deliver justice.
The witnesses may have been turning hostile and the victims contradicting their own statements because they are economically, socially and educationally disadvantaged.
The right to justice is enshrined in the Constitution. It also entails the protection of the victims as well as witnesses. We have also introduced laws related to protection.
But have we been able to ensure their protection in a meaningful way?
This is a serious question.
The author is Chief Justice
