Nepal Supreme Court rules in favour of same-sex marriage
Campaigners in Nepal are describing the ruling as "a historic milestone for equality"
By Aaron Sugg
The Supreme Court of Nepal ruled in favour of same-sex marriage on 18 June 2026, requiring the government to ensure marriage equality,
Issuing a binding directive order, the Supreme Court’s decision follows a 2023 interim ruling that provisionally recognised same-sex marriage, though implementation was inconsistent.
The court dismissed a counter-petition opposing marriage equality and reinforced previous rulings following the final hearing on 7 May 2026.
Sunil Babu Pant described the Nepal Supreme Court ruling as “a historic milestone for equality”
As reported by Pahichan Media, human rights activist and former politician Sunil Babu Pant welcomed the ruling.
“This landmark ruling marks a historic milestone for equality, dignity, and human rights in Nepal, while providing crucial legal clarity and protection for the rights of same-sex couples,” he said.
“The verdict reaffirms the constitutional principles established in Sunil Babu Pant vs Nepal Govt, and strengthened through later cases, including Maya Surendra’s first-ever legal registration of non-traditional heterosexual marriage in Nepal,” Pant continued.
Blue Diamond Society welcomed the “historic directive order” recognising same-sex marriages
Local LGBTQ+ rights organisation Blue Diamond Society celebrated the historic occasion in a statement posted to Instagram.
“Following the final hearing on May 7, 2026, the Supreme Court scheduled its verdict for June 18, 2026, when it officially ruled in favour of the petitioners, issuing a historic directive order to the government to guarantee marriage equality for the gender and sexual minority community in Nepal by updating the civil code to remove any discriminatory language,” wrote the body.
“The ruling is now the fourth Supreme Court decision over nearly two decades that makes clear: the freedom to marry the person you love is a guarantee under Nepal’s Constitution, and LGBTQIA+ couples and their families must be afforded the dignity, respect, and protections that only marriage can provide.”
Nepal officially registered its first LGBTQ+ marriage on 29 November 2023
“With this victory, a counter-writ petition filed by advocate Yuvraj Paudel aiming to block these rights was decisively dismissed by the court,” explained Blue Diamond Society.
Local LGBT rights groups have documented 35 same-sex marriages, with nine confirmed by local media.
Nepal officially registered its first LGBTQ+ marriage on 29 November 2023 between a trans woman and a cisgender man, who married in 2017 but only received official recognition of their union in 2023.