Nepal’s National Assembly, on Thursday, endorsed the Transitional Justice Bill.

Minister for Law, Justice, and Parliamentary Affairs, Ajay Kumar Chaurasiya, presented the proposal in the Upper House, accompanied by a message from the House of Representatives (HoR) requesting the passage of the bill concerning the Investigation of Enforced Disappearances and the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (Third Amendment), 2081. The Bill was unanimously approved. Earlier on August 14, the HoR meeting had passed the TRC Bill.

The bill will now be sent to the President for authentication after HoR Speaker Devraj Ghimire’s certification. The bill will take the form of an Act after the President’s authentication.

However, conflict-affected communities have staged demonstrations and sit-ins calling for amendments to the Transitional Justice Amendment Bill, which they argue is flawed and fails to adequately address the rights of victims.

The bill has come under criticism for containing provisions that grant immunity to perpetrators, thereby denying victims their rights to truth, justice, and compensation. International organizations had also echoed these concerns.