Kathmandu. Home Minister Ramesh Lekhak has said that the government will protect the human rights of detainees and prisoners in custody. Speaking at the meeting of the Law, Justice and Human Rights Committee under the House of Representatives held at Singha Durbar on Sunday, Home Minister Lekhak pledged that the human rights of detainees and prisoners will not be violated.
He pledged that the government will not commit any human rights violation against detainees and prisoners. He said that the government will properly address the problem of managing prisoners and detainees with limited resources.
He said that a new prison has recently been built and put into operation in Nuwakot and that the government has taken the initiative for the physical improvement of old prisons across the country.
He said, “We guarantee that no inhumane treatment, cruel treatment, or violation of human rights will be done to any person in custody, the government guarantees that. There will be no violation of the human rights of any person. But there are some problems of working with limited resources, and we have paid special attention to this. And we are improving it. We are making physical improvements.” Some prisons will be built more, as the Nuwakot prison has recently come into use. And there is a situation where some people can be added. The Department of Prison Management is working to take the prisoners from where there are more prisoners to Nuwakot. We are serious, aware and will do everything we can to fully protect the human rights of people in custody, prisoners or prisoners in prisons.’
Similarly, Home Minister Lekhak said that a bill has been prepared to amend the age of marriage and that discussions are underway to raise the age of marriage to 18 years or introduce the Romeo and Juliet Law. He said that the ‘Romeo Juliet Law’ is being practiced in various countries by interpreting physical relations between the ages of 16 and 18 as love affairs.
He said, ‘An amendment bill has been prepared in the Council of Ministers to amend the Children’s Act. We are discussing whether to reduce the age of marriage in that amendment bill. Since your views have also come in line with that, now there are two solutions. The two solutions are, one is to reduce the age of marriage, to take it to 18, and the other is to introduce the Romeo Juliet Law, which is an international practice. That law has been applied in many places. What the Romeo and Juliet Law says is that if the age of marriage is set at 18, even if they have physical relations between the ages of 16 and 18, that cannot be considered rape, etc. This is excusable. The Romeo and Juliet Law has a concept that a romantic relationship led to that point, and some countries have applied this.’
Home Minister Lekh pledged that the government would work seriously to reform custody based on the report submitted by the committee after conducting an on-site study.
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