LocalPolice & legalBeta

Filing a dispute at the local Judicial Committee

न्यायिक समितिमा उजुरी

Responsible office

Judicial Committee of the municipality / rural municipality (coordinated by the deputy mayor or vice-chair)

न्यायिक समिति (नगरपालिका / गाउँपालिका)

Who can applyResidents with local civil disputes, such as boundaries, water, crop damage, unpaid wages, maintenance of elderly parents or children, or house rent up to Rs 25 lakh a year, who want them decided or mediated locally rather than in court.

Typical timeNot published - confirm at the office. The statutory time limits in Chapter 8 of the Local Government Operation Act 2074 were not verified in this research.

Taxes / chargesNot stated

01 · Before you apply

Essential information

Legal basis

Constitution of Nepal, Article 217 (three-member judicial committee coordinated by the deputy mayor or vice-chair); Local Government Operation Act 2074, Chapter 8 (s.47(1) disputes it can decide, s.47(2) disputes it can only mediate); local Finance Act for fees.

Fee information as of

FY 2083/84 (Mahabu); other local levels not found

Source updated

FY 2083/84 (Mahabu Finance Act fees, Annex 11); 2024-04-18 (Kantipur)

Data confidence

medium

02 · Prepare

Documents you need

Bring original documents together with readable photocopies. Names, dates and record details should match across every document.

The exact list is set by local procedure and not published for the named cities - confirm at the office
Written complaint (उजुरी / निवेदन) naming both parties, the facts and what you are asking for
Supporting evidence, for example documents, maps, receipts and witness names
Receipt for the application fee (e.g. Mahabu RM Rs 100)

03 · At the office

Step-by-step process

1
Check whether your dispute is one the committee can decide (LGOA s.47(1)), or one it can only mediate (s.47(2): for example divorce, defamation, minor assault, encroachment on private land).
2
Write the complaint and collect your evidence.
3
File it at the Judicial Committee section of your municipality or rural municipality and pay the application fee.
4
The committee registers the complaint and notifies the other party under its local procedure (confirm at the office).
5
The committee may send the dispute to mediation (मेलमिलाप) with listed mediators; s.47(2) matters can only be settled this way.
6
For s.47(1) matters not settled by mediation, the committee hears both sides and decides.
7
If you disagree with the decision, you can challenge it in court. Ask the committee for the appeal route and deadline, which were not verified in this research.

04 · Cost

Fees and charges

Complaint / application fee (निवेदन शुल्क, न्यायिक समिति)

Varies by local level; set by each local level's Finance Act.

Mahabu RM (Dailekh) Rs 100 (FY 2083/84); KMC, Lalitpur, Pokhara: Not published - confirm at the office

Settlement fee (मिलापत्र शुल्क), when the parties settle

Mahabu Finance Act 2083, Annex 11 (सेवा, शुल्क, दस्तुर). The OCR text is partly garbled; whether each party pays Rs 250 is not clear.

Mahabu RM (Dailekh): Rs 250, collected from both parties (पक्ष र विपक्ष दुबैबाट); Rs 100 for a settlement made at the ward office (FY 2083/84). Other local levels: Not published - confirm at the office

06 · Read carefully

Important notes

Disputes it can decide (s.47(1)) include: land, dam or ditch boundaries and water sharing; crop damage; pasture, fodder and fuelwood; unpaid wages; lost or found animals; failure to care for elderly citizens; failure to support minor children or a spouse; house rent up to Rs 25 lakh a year; trees or water affecting neighbours; building without the legal setback; obstruction of traditional public paths, canals, grazing land or cremation sites; and matters assigned by federal or provincial law.
Disputes it can only mediate (s.47(2)) include: encroachment on private land; building on another person's land; divorce; assault punishable by up to one year; defamation; looting and assault; stray animals; unauthorised entry into a home; cultivating another person's land; noise or waste affecting neighbours; other civil matters, and criminal matters punishable by up to one year.
In practice, some local levels have not selected mediators, and mediators are unpaid. Some committees send cases to the police. Courts have revoked a number of committee decisions.
The source for the s.47 lists is an unofficial English translation; check the official text on lawcommission.gov.np.

07 · Where to go