Nepal - June 2023

Nepal’s Supreme Court (SC) issued a groundbreaking interim order on 28 June instructing the government to allow the registration of same-sex marriages, setting up a temporary registry for applicant couples pending a final verdict. It remains unclear when the parliament will officially pass a marriage equality law, however, rights activists have hailed the SC order as a huge step forward toward achieving marriage equality, with hopes that legislation will follow. Conversely, reports of District Courts finding legal ways to not comply with the order have emerged. Human rights experts have urged parliament to act quickly on amending the law and providing further guidance.

Sources: The Kathmandu Post, Human Rights Watch, The Diplomat, The Himalayan Times