Nepal’s judicial system handles a range of case categories, and each has been assigned a specific code for reference. These codes are incorporated into the daily court cause lists.
If you have ever looked at a cause list and found a two-letter code against a case number, the table below sets out what each one means.
Why the Codes Matter
The cause list is the daily schedule of matters before a court. Because every case category carries its own code, the code tells you at a glance what kind of matter is listed: whether it is a writ, an appeal, a revision, a review, or an ancillary application.
Knowing the codes makes a cause list far quicker to read, and makes it easier to track a matter as it moves between benches.
Court Case Codes
| Code | Nepali | Description |
|---|---|---|
| AP | निवेदन | Application |
| CC | संवैधानिक मुद्दा | Constitutional Case |
| CF | फौजदारी पूर्ण | Criminal Full |
| CI | देवानी पुनरावेदन | Civil Appeal |
| CR | फौजदारी पुनरावेदन | Criminal Appeal |
| DF | देवानी पूर्ण | Civil Full |
| EC | निर्वाचन सम्बन्धि रिट | Election Writ |
| FN | फुटकर निवेदन | Ancillary Application |
| LE | अनुमति निवेदन | Permission Request |
| MS | विविध | Miscellaneous |
| ND | निस्सा प्रदान (संयुक्त) | Special Leave Granted for Division Bench |
| NF | निस्सा प्रदान (पूर्ण) | Special Leave Granted for Full Bench |
| RB | राजस्व र वाणिज्य पुनरावेदन | Revenue and Commercial Appeal |
| RC | साधक | Reference for Sanction |
| RE | प्रतिवेदन | Report |
| RF | राजस्व र वाणिज्य पूर्ण | Revenue and Commercial Full Bench |
| RI | दोहोर्याई पाउँ | Revision |
| RV | पुनरावलोकन निवेदन | Review |
| SA | संक्षिप्त | Summary |
| WC | संवैधानिक रिट | Constitutional Writ |
| WF | पूर्ण रिट | Writ for Full Bench |
| WH | बन्दीप्रत्यक्षीकरण | Writ of Habeas Corpus |
| WO | साधारण रिट | Ordinary Writ |
| WS | विशेष रिट | Special Writ |
Reading the Groups
Several codes fall into recognisable families, which helps when scanning a list:
- Writs carry a W prefix: WC, WF, WH, WO and WS.
- Appeals and full bench matters pair up by subject: CI and DF for civil, CR and CF for criminal, RB and RF for revenue and commercial.
- Applications take several forms: AP for an application, FN for an ancillary application, LE for a permission request.
- Special leave is split by bench: ND for a division bench, NF for a full bench.
Speak to Our Team
If you are tracking a matter through the courts, or need advice on a dispute, get in touch, or read more about our forensic accounting and expert witness services. Our guide to legal services in Nepal sets out how we work, and our write-up of a training on alternative dispute resolution and arbitration covers routes to resolving disputes outside court.
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