KATHMANDU: Dr Narayan Datt Kandel, recently appointed as Attorney General, the government’s principal legal adviser, embodies a rare blend of journalism, academia and rights advocacy. Born in Bihunkot, Baglung, his ascent was formally sealed by a cabinet decision on Sunday, but his professional story stretches back decades-and across continents.

Unlike many of his predecessors, Dr Kandel did not begin in courtrooms but in newsrooms. His career took root in 1992, when he entered full-time journalism. For more than a decade, he worked as a reporter for outlets such as Radio Nepal, Rajdhani Daily, Rashtrapukar, and Nepal Bani Weekly. These formative years-spent chasing stories and scrutinising power—appear to have shaped his later legal instincts.

By the early 2000s, his interests began to shift. From 2001 to 2003, he served as president of the Dhaulagiri chapter of the Federation of Nepali Journalists, a role that placed him at the intersection of media freedom and institutional advocacy. It was around this time that law, rather than journalism, emerged as his primary calling.

In 2003, he formally entered the legal profession after obtaining his advocate’s licence from the Nepal Bar Council. What followed was a steady academic climb. He completed his undergraduate law degree in Nepal before heading to Europe, where he pursued higher studies with notable focus. In 2007, he earned a degree in International Peace Studies from the National University of Ireland. Two years later, he completed a master’s degree in law from Ulster University in the United Kingdom, eventually going on to secure a PhD in law from Queen’s University.

Yet Dr Kandel’s career has not been confined to legal practice alone. Alongside courtroom advocacy, he has been an active participant in the broader ecosystem of rights and governance. He has worked with organisations such as Freedom Forum, Amnesty International and the Human Rights and Peace Society-championing causes ranging from freedom of expression to the rule of law.

His appointment comes at a time when Nepal’s legal and political institutions are under increasing scrutiny. In Dr Kandel, the government has chosen not merely a lawyer, but a figure shaped by media, academia and activism-a combination that may prove either uniquely effective or politically delicate in the months ahead.