Introduction To CeLRRd

Since its inception in 1998, the Center for Legal Research and Resource Development (CeLRRd) has worked extensively to promote, uphold and respect rule of law, good governance, fair and unrestricted access to justice, human rights and peace. Coming to the date, it has distinguished itself among other Nepali NGOs for its high-caliber legal research and for its unparalleled development of domestic legal resources. From the beginning, CeLRRd has played a pivotal role in shaping the legal landscape in Nepal. In 1999, on the basis of its research and recommendations on Nepal’s criminal justice system, new initiatives were adopted including improving legal aid for prisoners and victims support activities. Since then, CeLRRd has examined the criminal justice system in Nepal along several dimensions, including the impact of corruption on women, the counter-corruption legal framework in Nepal, laws incompatible with fair trial standards, a baseline study of juvenile justice (accomplished in 2010) and a baseline study of Criminal Justice System (in 2013) to mention a few.

In addition, CeLRRd has a wide-ranging organizational experiences reflected by the following endeavors among others in the recent past: i) Preparing the rules governing the compliant handling and compensation for NHRC at the behest of the Council of Ministers; ii) lobbying in support of the Mediation Bill before the Parliament and preparing an amendment to that Bill with the support of CA members ; iii) seeking to improve the then-Human Trafficking (Control) Act with UNICEF’s support; and iv) enhancing access to justice through a community-based mediation program under DanidaHUGOU, UNDP, TAF and USAID funding.

Recently CeLRRd successfully implemented its first five years Strategic Plan ( 2009-13), and is geared towards developing Second Five Years Strategic Plan (2014-18). Its mission has been to empower and enable people, both individually and collectively, to have their right to social justice realized in a framework of the rule of law. Building capacity of justice sector professionals to deliver on the need of access to justice for the poor and marginalized in a transparent and accountable manner; and providing extended and institutionalized legal aid services to the victims of injustices and human rights violations have been the primary objectives. Thus, over the last few years, CeLRRd has been implementing primarily programs that create/facilitate access to justice for the needy and disadvantaged groups of societies both through informal and formal justice delivery mechanisms. Whether be it community mediation, legal aid to victims of domestic violence, trafficking survivors, juveniles in conflict with law and needy prisoners who cannot afford to have legal representation in their cases, the core philosophy with which CeLRRd works is that the lack of justice or access to it, is a serious blow to human rights, peace and development of any society. Its strategic approaches are research, resource development, community mobilization, raising legal awareness and legal aid activities.

Its creation and tie-up with an academic institution, Kathmandu School of Law (KSL) since 2000 has been supplementing CeLRRd’s research works and programs. Therein, the knowledge and learning are exchanged between development practitioners and academicians.

Vision, Mission, Goal and Objectives

Vision:

A peaceful and prosperous Nepal where people enjoy human rights and social justice fully and equally

Mission:

Empower and enable people, both individually and collectively, to have their right to social justice realized in a framework of the rule of law

Goal:

People from disadvantaged and marginalized groups and communities enabled to have an access to justice through informal and formal processes and mechanisms

Objectives:

Promote peace and harmony in community through mediation and other alternative dispute resolution mechanisms
Promote access to justice through legal aid and advocacy, irrespective of social, ethnic, religious, gender and political differences
Build capacity of justice sector professionals to deliver on the need to reform criminal and juvenile justice system and legal professionalism
Promote legal and civic education for the promotion of rule of law and good governance

Areas of Intervention