Sobita Gautam

Minister for Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs — Government of Nepal (Rastriya Swatantra Party)

About Sobita Gautam

Key facts Role: Minister for Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs Organisation: Government of Nepal (Rastriya Swatantra Party) Country: Nepal Sector: Politics & Government (law and justice) Headline figures: Government target of drafting 166 laws this year; won Chitwan-3 with 59,277 votes On 24 September Sobita Gautam, Nepal's minister for law, justice and parliamentary affairs, presented the Free Legal Aid Bill 2083 to the House of Representatives. She told MPs it would give people arrested in criminal cases a lawyer "from the beginning" if they cannot afford one, putting into practice the justice rights in Article 20 of the constitution. A day earlier she had told the House that the government aimed to draft 166 laws this year, and that more than 40 had already been registered, The Rising Nepal reported. At 31, Gautam is the person charged with turning the post-uprising government's large majority into legislation. The role Her ministry drafts laws, oversees constitutional amendments and has a role in judicial appointments. The law minister sits on the Judicial Council, which recommends judges, as The Kathmandu Post noted when she took office. She also steers the government's legislative programme through the House. This matters because the Rastriya Swatantra Party (RSP) won nearly two-thirds of the 275 seats in the lower house at the elections of 5 March 2026, according to AP. That majority removes much of the coalition bargaining that has held back legal reform for years. The agenda The agenda in front of her is large. The Kathmandu Post reported that Nepal's constitution lists 31 fundamental rights, but enabling legislation exists for only 16 of them. Many constitutional provisions that function "as provided by federal law" remain largely symbolic. Overlapping laws, regulations and ordinances have created confusion, to the point that the ministry itself struggles to say how many laws are in force. The constitution also requires a review of several transition-era commissions, including the National Women Commission, the National Dalit Commission and the Madhesi Commission. Any major restructuring would probably need a constitutional amendment. According to the Post, the RSP falls short of the two-thirds needed for that and has no seats in the upper house, so Gautam will have to build consensus across parties. “Merely signing treaties and agreements is not enough,” — Gautam, during the House debate on the BBNJ agreement Background Born in June 1995, Gautam holds a law degree and is a licensed advocate. She won Kathmandu-2 in the RSP's first parliamentary election, which the Post said gave her a reputation as "an assertive and outspoken lawmaker". In March 2026 she won Chitwan-3 with 59,277 votes, almost three times the tally of her nearest rival, Renu Dahal of the Nepali Communist Party, according to Radio Nepal. Prime Minister Balendra Shah was sworn in on 27 March after a youth-led uprising brought down the previous government in September 2025. He named her to the law ministry the same day, as one of five women in his first cabinet. The Daily Star reported that this was the first time Nepal's cabinet had met the constitution's one-third representation standard for women. Regional dimension Her work has a regional dimension. On 22 September she tabled Nepal's ratification of the UN agreement on marine biodiversity beyond national jurisdiction, known as BBNJ, which the House approved unanimously. She used the debate to argue for laws "with disaster resilience at the core". "Merely signing treaties and agreements is not enough," she said. The RSP manifesto's wider constitutional ideas include a directly elected executive, a fully proportional parliament and separating lawmakers from ministers. The Post expects her ministry to coordinate the national dialogue on these ideas. What to watch: passage of the Free Legal Aid Bill, progress against the 166-law target, the handling of the transition-era commissions, and whether the government opens formal talks on constitutional change that it cannot pass alone. Gautam ranks 35th because she controls the legislative machinery of a government with a rare near-two-thirds majority, at a moment of institutional reset. Her portfolio is national, and the scale of her budget and regional reach is modest. Sources The Rising Nepal (RSS), Bill on free legal assistance tabled in House of Representatives , 24 Sep 2026 The Rising Nepal, Govt planning to draft 166 laws this year: Minister Gautam , 23 Sep 2026 The Kathmandu Post, Sobita Gautam looks to tackle piling legal backlog , 28 Mar 2026 Radio Nepal, Sobita Gautam wins HoR seat from Chitwan-3 , 7 Mar 2026 AP, Nepal's youngest prime minister takes the oath of office , 27 Mar 2026 The Daily Star (agencies), Nepal ensures 33% women representation in cabinet , Mar 2026

Why this entry is on the list

Gautam ranks 35th because she controls the legislative machinery of a government with a rare near-two-thirds majority, at a moment of institutional reset. Her portfolio is national, and the scale of her budget and regional reach is modest. She steers a legislative programme that aims to draft 166 laws this year, and as law minister she sits on the Judicial Council.