Young generation discovers opportunities beyond advocacy in law

Women are increasingly dominating law classrooms, while students from science, government service, business and other backgrounds are expanding the field beyond its traditional focus on advocacy

Nepal Law Campus students on an observation tour at the Federal Parliament. Photo credit: Prakriti Pandey

KATHMANDU: Ignorance of the law is not an excuse for any person, meaning one cannot get immunity from a crime or mistake by claiming not to know the law. This is considered a universal principle of law. Bigyata Dahal is one of the new generation drawn toward this legal awareness.

Dahal, hailing from Birtamode, Jhapa, and currently studying in the second semester of the Bachelor of Arts Bachelor of Laws (B.A.LL.B) level at Nepal Law Campus, Kathmandu, was attracted to the black coat worn by lawyers ever since she was old enough to understand things. The word ‘judicial’ heard in the classroom sparked her curiosity about the law.

There was no one with a legal background in her family. Two to three decades ago, there was no easy opportunity to study law. Therefore, her mother’s desire to study law remained unfulfilled. “My mother had a dream to study law. At that time, she didn’t get the opportunity. That is also one of the reasons why I am studying law,” says Dahal. That is why she chose the law subject right from the higher secondary level.

Recent statistics show a strong presence of the new generation, especially women, in law studies. There are 160 students in Dahal’s class. Among them, 60 are male students and 100 are female students. In the overall data as well, female students appear higher in number than male students. According to data from the University Grants Commission, in fiscal year 2024/25, there are 9,345 law students across the country. Among them, 5,336 are women and 4,009 are men. The previous year, however, male students were higher in number. In fiscal year 2023/24, there were 19,768 law students. Among them, 8,460 were women and 11,308 were men.

Students at Nepal Law Campus. Photo credit: Bigyata Dahal

As Dahal continues studying law, she feels herself becoming even more aware. “Law is a subject different from mathematics and science. A civilized society cannot be imagined without law. In science and mathematics, there are certain theoretical things. There is no compulsion for people to keep knowing those things. But law is a subject that everyone must know,” says Dahal. “Rights and duties are written in the law itself. Law applies even to small decisions of life.”

Only after studying law did she learn that along with one’s own freedom, one must not violate the freedom of others.

The more she read and understood, the more Nepal’s justice system began to feel somewhat unjust. What made it feel that way? Dahal says, “The justice system is slow. It is also said that there is political interference. Law is not being implemented. Only those who have reached positions appear powerful. It is seen that when influential people commit crimes, the law is not implemented, while ordinary people receive punishment.”

Not only that, even in cases of rape and murder, people in powerful positions are linked. In such incidents, she has seen that the actual victim women who suffered injustice are unable to get justice. She has also experienced that it appears as though the state itself tries to interfere in the judicial process.

B.A.LL.B. orientation program participants at Nepal Law Campus. Photo courtesy: Nepal Law Campus

Therefore, she has no desire to hold a government job. She wants to work on civil lawsuits. It is her understanding that there are limitations in a government job. She has a dream to contribute to building a civilized society by studying law.

Law to understand rights

Karuna Karna from Malangwa, Sarlahi, is studying in the fifth year of B.A.LL.B. at Kathmandu School of Law. When coming to Kathmandu from the Terai to study law, she was very confused at first. As she kept studying, she realized that many things made into topics of jokes in school were actually very sensitive. “I got to know how meaningful a thing is and who is affected or impacted when speaking certain things,” says Karna.

In her opinion, it is not necessary that one must practice advocacy after studying law. In her understanding, there is no way around knowing the law. One must study law even to understand how we are governed and who is governing us. She suggests that women especially should study law. She states that this creates awareness even in daily life.

Among her classmates studying with her, some have an interest in sports, some in music, and some in business. Everyone carries different interests. “But I feel that the subject that connects everything is law itself. Not everyone is studying to become a lawyer. They are coming from different professions. To open a company, to claim intellectual property rights in music, or for business, one must know the law,” says Karna. “Since law is useful in all aspects, it takes along all subjects overall.”

Even though her family has a background in government service, she has an interest in teaching. Therefore, she has set a goal to become a professor in the law subject.