The Nepalese judiciary is facing a profound crisis following the widespread destruction caused by last September’s Gen Z protests, which have exposed significant structural weaknesses in the country's legal system. The protests resulted in extensive damage to court infrastructure and critical legal records, severely disrupting judicial operations across the country.
During the mass demonstrations, 23 court buildings were targeted, with 10 structures completely destroyed and nine others damaged. Among the most symbolic losses was the Supreme Court’s historic building, which sustained damage estimated at 1.23 billion rupees. The destruction extended beyond physical premises to include the loss of approximately 936,000 legal files and documents, causing an unprecedented interruption in ongoing cases.
The fiscal year 2025-2026 figures reflect the fallout from the crisis, showing a sharp decline in judicial productivity. The national case clearance rate dropped from 65.69 percent in the previous year to just 55 percent. Out of more than 357,000 pending cases, fewer than 200,000 were resolved, leaving a backlog of over 160,000 unresolved disputes. The Supreme Court experienced its worst performance on record, disposing of only 29.46 percent of its caseload—a decline of more than 12 percentage points compared with the previous year.
Technological setbacks compounded the challenges to the judiciary. Central server infrastructure, essential for judicial operations nationwide, was destroyed during the riots, paralyzing functioning courts, even those physically unharmed. For instance, the Patan High Court was unable to operate for two months due to the loss of digital databases. Judicial activities across Nepal remained largely suspended for nearly four months. This disruption highlighted the risks posed by an overly centralized system reliant on infrastructure concentrated in the capital.
Legal experts and analysts argue that restoring physical buildings alone will not be sufficient to revive the rule of law. Instead, they emphasize the urgent need to decentralize Nepal’s justice system to prevent future single points of failure. One proposed reform involves elevating High Courts to the status of courts of record, granting their rulings binding authority and allowing them to function as permanent repositories of legal history. This would reduce the Supreme Court’s caseload by enabling lower courts to resolve routine appeals independently, enabling the highest court to focus on constitutional and nationally significant cases.
Another suggestion drawing attention is the appointment of ad hoc judges to help manage overloaded dockets, a measure recently adopted in neighboring India to alleviate judicial backlogs.
Budget estimates place the cost of physical reconstruction at approximately 2.8 billion rupees, but experts stress that investment must extend to technological improvements, including distributed digital backups to safeguard legal documents. They further contend that empowering lower courts to act as final arbiters in minor civil matters will enhance efficiency and resilience.
The Gen Z protests underscored a harsh reality: the concentration of judicial resources in a limited number of centralized locations made Nepal’s legal system vulnerable to disruption. Structural reforms aimed at decentralizing the judiciary and distributing authority are seen as essential steps to ensure that justice can continue to be administered reliably, regardless of future crises.