From Advocacy to Action
Nepal’s First Children’s Court
Children who come into contact with the justice system are among the most vulnerable. Their age, level of development and life circumstances mean that how they are treated within the justice system can have profound and long-lasting consequences – for them, their families, their communities and society as a whole.
In Nepal, UNICEF has supported the Government of Nepal, using core resources, to make the justice system more child-friendly. In 2025, this long-term work paid off with a historic milestone: the establishment of the country’s first Children’s Court in Bhaktapur.
Across the world, too many children accused of crimes find themselves in systems designed for adults. Police interrogations, court hearings and detention centres rarely take into account that children think, feel and behave differently, and are at a distinct stage of development. Yet children should always be seen and treated as children.
Many children accused of crimes have themselves experienced significant hardship, including abuse or extreme poverty. While justice must be served, these children also need care, protection and support.
A child-friendly justice system does exactly that. It places the best interests of the child at the centre, while also promoting accountability, safety and justice.
It recognizes that children are still developing and have a unique capacity for change. Transforming a justice system is not easy and requires many years of sustained advocacy and technical expertise. Core resources made it possible for UNICEF Nepal’s child protection specialists to carry out this vital work.
In 2025, Nepal took a major step forward in strengthening its juvenile justice system by establishing its first Children’s Court in Bhaktapur. The court handles cases involving children from four districts, including the capital, Kathmandu, giving more than 850,000 children access to a more child-friendly justice system. Children appearing before the court can be as young as ten years old. In less than a year, over 370 cases, involving more than 500 children, have already been registered at the court.
A verdict has already given in over 200 cases. While most cases involve theft and robbery, the court also hears serious offences, including sexual violence, other forms of violence and even homicide.
The Children’s Court differs from regular courts in many important ways. Its focus is on prevention, rehabilitation, and corrective and restorative justice, ensuring that every child has access to justice, protection within the legal system, and a fair chance at a brighter future. Proceedings are handled swiftly, with sensitivity and strict confidentiality. Hearings take place with all participants seated around a table rather than in a traditional courtroom setting. Each case is overseen by a judge working alongside a child psychologist and a social worker.
“In the Children’s Court, children’s stories, circumstances and recovery needs are central to the proceedings. This humanity and sensitivity are exactly what UNICEF has long been advocating for.” - Radha Gurung, Child Protection Specialist, UNICEF Nepal
Without UNICEF’s years-long advocacy and partnership with justice and law enforcement authorities – supported by core resources – this first Children’s Court would not have been established. UNICEF supported the physical set-up of the court, provided training, and continues to offer technical expertise to ensure procedures are child-friendly. However, Nepal’s juvenile justice system still has a long way to go, particularly in a context of limited resources.
UNICEF Nepal will continue to advocate for and support broader reforms, including child-friendly police interrogations, improvements to the detention system, and raising the minimum age of criminal responsibility from ten to twelve years.
“What this first Children’s Court represents, however, is a powerful model – a blueprint for expanding child-friendly justice, so that every child in Nepal has access to a justice system built for them.” – Judge Krishna Prasad Sharma Nepal
