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Sapana Pradhan Malla

Acting Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Nepal; lawyer and women's rights advocate whose litigation led to more than 60 discriminatory laws being struck down

Law & JusticeSocial & Public ServicePolitics & Governance

Currently Acting Chief Justice, Supreme Court of Nepal

About

Sapana Pradhan Malla built her career by identifying discriminatory provisions across Nepal’s legal code. She documented more than a hundred laws that treated women as inferior. She spent decades litigating, taking legal action in court, to overturn these laws. She often worked alongside fellow lawyer Meera Dhungana.

She started out in a lucrative, highly profitable, private practice. She then shifted to public interest law. She later served in the Constituent Assembly that shaped Nepal’s 2015 constitution. She was then appointed to the Supreme Court. She eventually rose to Acting Chief Justice.

Quick facts

Born
1963-11-15
Birthplace
Nawalparasi, Nepal
Profession
Lawyer, Judge, Politician, Women's rights activist
Current role
Acting Chief Justice, Supreme Court of Nepal
Nationality
Nepal
Status
Alive

Current roles

  • Acting Chief Justice

    Supreme Court of Nepal · since 2026

Previous roles

  • Justice

    Supreme Court of Nepal · 2016-08-01

  • Member, Constituent Assembly

    Government of Nepal · 2008-05–2012-05

  • President

    Forum for Women, Law and Development

Education

  • Tribhuvan University

    Bachelor of Law (1987)

  • University of Delhi

    Master of Comparative Law (1990)

  • Harvard Kennedy School

    Mid-Career Master in Public Administration

Career & life timeline

  1. 1963-11-15

    Born in Nawalparasi, Nepal

  2. 1987

    Began practicing law before the Supreme Court of Nepal

  3. 1995

    Co-founded the Forum for Women, Law and Development

  4. 2008-05

    Became a member of Nepal's first Constituent Assembly

  5. 2013

    Became a Senior Advocate of Nepal

  6. 2016-08-01

    Appointed Justice of the Supreme Court of Nepal

  7. 2026

    Became Acting Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Nepal

Achievements

  • Led public interest litigation resulting in more than 60 discriminatory laws being struck down

  • Co-founded the Forum for Women, Law and Development

    1995

  • Became Nepal's second woman to lead the judiciary, as Acting Chief Justice

    2026

Awards & honours

  • Gruber Prize for Women's Rights

    2008

Organizations & affiliations

  • Forum for Women, Law and Development
  • Supreme Court of Nepal
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Last updated: 2026-09-02