Speaker Aryal urges people-centered lawmaking & legal reform

KATHMANDU: Dol Prasad Aryal has stressed the need for lawmakers to focus on creating laws that are practical, citizen-friendly, and aligned with the country’s geography, social reality, and national needs.

Speaking at an interaction program titled “Legislative and Non-Legislative Practices in Parliamentary Committees” organized by the Former Parliamentarians Forum Nepal, Speaker Aryal said that many existing laws fail to address real-life challenges due to weak consultation and impractical drafting processes.

He questioned the current legislative drafting practice, asking who actually prepares bills and how much consultation is done with stakeholders and users of the law. According to him, laws are often formulated without informing or involving the people who will ultimately be affected by them.

“The users of the law do not even know what kind of laws are being made. We impose laws and expect people to simply follow them,” he said, adding that such practices leave citizens unaware and forced to comply without understanding.

Aryal also emphasized the need to amend or repeal outdated laws and to prioritize future-oriented legislation. He further highlighted the important role played by former parliamentarians in establishing Nepal’s republican system and expressed confidence that the experience of senior leaders combined with the energy of the new generation would help drive the country toward prosperity.

Forum Vice Chair Sushila Sharma said that the experience of former lawmakers and the active engagement of current parliamentarians could elevate parliamentary practices to a new level.

Acting Chair Bishnu Bahadur Raut informed that the program included expert presentations on legislative practices in parliamentary committees, non-legislative roles of committees, and the implementation of international treaties and court decisions.

The event was attended by chairpersons of parliamentary committees from both houses, former lawmakers, Constituent Assembly members, serving MPs, senior officials of the Federal Parliament Secretariat, and representatives from the Ministry of Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs.