Mara Malagodi

Reader

Athena Swan Working Group Member

Comparative Constitutional Law; Legal History; Law and Film; Human Rights; Law, Gender, and Sexuality

School of Law
B1.14, Social Sciences Building
University of Warwick
Coventry CV4 7AL
United Kingdom

mara.malagodi@warwick.ac.uk
024 765 74802

Bio

Dr Mara Malagodi is a Reader in Law at Warwick Law School. She joined Warwick in 2022 from Hong Kong.

Dr Malagodi is a comparative constitutional lawyer and socio-legal scholar with a linguistically-informed specialism in South Asian law and politics, human rights law, gender and law, legal history, and law and film. She holds her Doctorate, MA in South Asia Area Studies, and BA (Hons) in Nepali & Politics from the University of London (SOAS) and was a British Academy Postdoctoral FellowLink opens in a new window at the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE). She is a scholar of the Honourable Society of the Middle Temple (Quatercentenary ScholarshipLink opens in a new window) and a non-practising barrister in England and Wales (Call: 2016).

Dr Malagodi is also an award-winning documentary filmmaker; she trained at the Escuela Internacional de Cine y TV (EICTV)Link opens in a new window in Cuba in 2014 and her work has been screened at the Raindance Film Festival (2015 award for best short doc, "Walking through Havana"), Sheffield Doc Fest (nominated for best student doc, 2015), and Shuffle Film Festival (nominated for best doc, 2015).

Dr Malagodi is the author of the monographs Constitutional Nationalism and Legal Exclusion in Nepal (2013) with Oxford University Press and The Constitution of Nepal – A Contextual Analysis (forthcoming 2026) with Hart Publishing. She is co-editing a four-volume series on Asian Comparative Constitutional Law (2023-26) and co-edited a volume on Gender, Sexuality and Constitutionalism in Asia (2024) for Hart Publishing. Dr Malagodi's work has appeared in the International Journal of Constitutional Law, the Journal of Law and Society, the Federal Law Review, the Law and History Review, the Modern Law Review, the European Constitutional Law Review, and numerous other journals and edited collections.

In 2024, Dr Malagodi became the co-Editor-in-Chief of the peer-reviewed journal Constitutional Studies since its recent reconfiguration as the official publication of the International Association of Constitutional Law (IACL)Link opens in a new window jointly with the Comparative Constitutions ProjectLink opens in a new window. She also serves as an Executive Committee Member of the UK Constitutional Law Association (UKCLA)Link opens in a new window, the UK branch of IACL.

Dr Malagodi is part of European Women’s Law and Gender action (EUWONDER) Link opens in a new windowproject on gender equality within the European legal order at the University of Pisa.

Dr Malagodi is on the expert roster of iProbono and ROLE UK, has worked as an external consultant for various United Nations agencies, and has been teaching at the Diplomatic Academy of the UK’s Foreign, Commonwealth, and Development Office.

Publications

Monographs

- Mara Malagodi, forth. 2026. The Constitution of Nepal: A Contextual Analysis. Oxford: Hart Publishing, Constitutional Systems of the World seriesLink opens in a new window.

- Mara Malagodi, 2013. Constitutional Nationalism & Legal Exclusion – Equality, Identity Politics and Democracy in Nepal (1990-2007)Link opens in a new window, Delhi: Oxford University Press, 316 pp.

Edited Books

- Rehan Abeyratne, Ngoc Son Bui, and Mara Malagodi (eds.), forth. 2026. Asian Comparative Constitutional Law,Volume IV: Constitutional Rights, Oxford: Hart Publishing.

- Ngoc Son Bui, Mara Malagodi, and Christopher Roberts (eds.), forth. 2025. Asian Comparative Constitutional Law, Volume III: Constitutional StructureLink opens in a new window, Oxford: Hart Publishing.

- Ngoc Son Bui and Mara Malagodi (eds.), 2024. Asian Comparative Constitutional Law, Volume II: Constitutional AmendmentsLink opens in a new window, Oxford: Hart Publishing, 469 pp.

- Wen-Chen Chang, Kelley Loper, Mara Malagodi, and Ruth Rubio-Marín (eds.), 2024. Gender, Sexuality and Constitutionalism in AsiaLink opens in a new window, Oxford: Hart Publishing, 384 pp.

- Ngoc Son Bui and Mara Malagodi (eds.), 2023. Asian Comparative Constitutional Law, Volume I: Constitution-MakingLink opens in a new window, Oxford: Hart Publishing, 451 pp.

Journal Articles

- Mara Malagodi and Elettra Stradella, forth. 2025. ‘Conceptualising the Link between Constitutional Degradation and Gender Populism’ European Constitutional Law Review.

- Devika Hovell and Mara Malagodi, 2024. ‘Law Out of Context: Problematising Universal Jurisdiction Trials’ Modern Law ReviewLink opens in a new window 87:6, 1480-1518.

- Holning Lau and Mara Malagodi, 2024. ‘Legal Gender Recognition in Nepal and Comparative Context’ University of Pennsylvania Journal of International LawLink opens in a new window 45:2, 269-298.

- Mara Malagodi, 2023. ‘Nepal’s Constitutional Foundations between Revolution and Cold War (1950-1960)’ Law & History ReviewLink opens in a new window 41:2, 273-294.

- Mara Malagodi, 2021. ‘Holy Cows and Constitutional Nationalism in Nepal’ Asian EthnologyLink opens in a new window 80:1, 93-119.

- Mara Malagodi, 2020. ‘Intersectional Inequalities and Reproductive Rights: An India-Nepal Comparison’ University of Oxford Human Rights Hub JournalLink opens in a new window 3:2, 195-201.

- Mara Malagodi, Luke McDonagh and Thomas Poole, 2019. ‘New Dominion Constitutionalism at the Twilight of the British Empire’ International Journal of Constitutional LawLink opens in a new window 17:4, 1166-1172.

- Mara Malagodi, Luke McDonagh and Thomas Poole, 2019. ‘The Dominion Model of Transnational Constitutionalism’ International Journal of Constitutional LawLink opens in a new window 17:4, 1283-1300.

- Mara Malagodi, 2019. ‘Dominion Status and the Origins of Authoritarian Constitutionalism in Pakistan’ International Journal of Constitutional Law 17:4, 1235-1257.

- Mara Malagodi, 2018. ‘The Rejection of Constitutional Incrementalism in Nepal’s Federalisation’ Federal Law ReviewLink opens in a new window 46:4, 521-540.

- Mara Malagodi, 2018. ‘Challenges and Opportunities of Gender Equality Litigation in Nepal’ International Journal of Constitutional LawLink opens in a new window 16:2, 527-551.

- Mara Malagodi, 2015. ‘Ivor Jennings’ Constitutional Legacy beyond the Occidental-Oriental Divide’ Journal of Law & SocietyLink opens in a new window 42:1, 102-126.

- Madura Rasaratnam and Mara Malagodi, 2012. ‘Eyes Wide Shut? Persistent Conflict and Liberal Peace Interventions in Nepal and Sri Lanka’ Conflict, Security and DevelopmentLink opens in a new window 12:3, 299-327.

- Mara Malagodi, 2011. ‘The End of a National Monarchy: Nepal’s Constitutional Transition from Hindu Kingdom to Secular Federal Republic’ Studies in Ethnicity and NationalismLink opens in a new window 11:2, 234-251.

- Mara Malagodi, 2010. ‘Minority Rights and Constitutional Borrowings in the Drafting of Nepal's 1990 Constitution’ European Bulletin of Himalayan Research Link opens in a new window37, 56-81.

- Mara Malagodi, 2008. ‘Forging the Nepali Nation through Law: A Reflection on the Use of Western Legal Tools in a Himalayan Kingdom’ Studies in Ethnicity and NationalismLink opens in a new window 8:3, 433-452.

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Book Chapters

- Mara Malagodi, forth. 2025. ‘Gender Constitutionalism and Reproductive Politics – Lessons from Asia’, in Comparative Law in Asia: Essays in Honour of Andrew HardingLink opens in a new window, S. Bui and M. Pongsapan (eds.), Hart Publishing.

- Ngoc Bui Son, Mara Malagodi and Christopher Roberts, forth. 2025. ‘Constitutional Structures in Asia: A Comparative Framework’, in Asian Comparative Constitutional Law, Volume III: Constitutional StructureLink opens in a new window, S. Bui, M. Malagodi and C. Roberts (eds.), Hart Publishing.

- Mara Malagodi, 2024. ‘Nepal’ in Oxford Handbook of Constitutional Law in AsiaLink opens in a new window, D. Law, H. Lau, and A. Schwartz (eds.), Oxford: Oxford University Press (published online on 24 February 2024).

- Mara Malagodi, 2024. ‘Ivor Jennings, The Law and the Constitution’, in Leading Works in Public LawLink opens in a new window, P. O’Brien and B. Young (eds.), London: Routledge, 28-46.

- Mara Malagodi, 2024. ‘Constitutional Amendments in Asia: A Contextual Approach to Comparison’ in Asian Comparative Constitutional Law, Volume II: AmendmentsLink opens in a new window, S. Bui and M. Malagodi (eds.), Oxford: Hart Publishing, 413-430.

- Ruth Rubio-Marín, Wen-Chen Chang, Mara Malagodi and Kelley Loper, 2024. ‘Gender Constitutionalism in Asia: A Comparative Framework’ in Gender, Sexuality and Constitutionalism in AsiaLink opens in a new window, W. Chang, K. Loper, M. Malagodi and R. Rubio-Marín (eds.), Oxford: Hart Publishing, 1-25.

- Mara Malagodi, 2024. ‘Gender, Sexuality, and Constitutionalism in Nepal’ in Gender, Sexuality and Constitutionalism in AsiaLink opens in a new window, W. Chang, K. Loper, M. Malagodi and R. Rubio-Marín (eds.), Oxford: Hart Publishing, 281-310.

- Mara Malagodi, 2023. ‘Post-Conflict Constitution-Making in Nepal and the Limits of Constituent Assemblies’ in Asian Comparative Constitutional Law, Volume I: Constitution-MakingLink opens in a new window, S. Bui and M. Malagodi (eds.), Oxford: Hart Publishing, 409-427.

- Mara Malagodi, 2022. ‘Constitutional History and Constitutional Migration: Nepal’ in Constitutionalism in ContextLink opens in a new window, D. Law (ed.), Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 113-135.

- Mara Malagodi, 2021. ‘Limiting Constituent Power? Unconstitutional Constitutional Amendments and Time-Bound Constitution Making in Nepal’, The Law and Politics of Unconstitutional Constitutional Amendments in AsiaLink opens in a new window, R. Abeyratne and S. Bui (eds.), London: Routledge, 133-150.

- Mara Malagodi, 2021. ‘Nepal’s Heroic Judge: Former Chief Justice Kalyan Shrestha’, Towering JudgesLink opens in a new window, R. Abeyratne and I. Porrat (eds.), Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 155-173.

- Mara Malagodi, 2019. ‘Godot Has Arrived! Federal Restructuring in Nepal’ in Dealing with Territorial Cleavages in Constitutional TransitionsLink opens in a new window, S. Choudhry and G. Anderson (eds.), Oxford: Oxford University Press, 161-180.

- Mara Malagodi, 2018. ‘Constituent Assembly Failure in Pakistan and Nepal’ in Constituent AssembliesLink opens in a new window, J. Elster, R. Gargarella, V. Naresh and B. Rasch (eds.), Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 79-108.

- Mara Malagodi, 2016. ‘Sir Ivor Jennings and the 1959 Constitution of Nepal’ in Constitution-Making in Asia, H. Kumarasingham (ed.), London: Routledge, 154-172.

- Mara Malagodi, 2015. ‘The Locus of Sovereign Authority in Nepal’ in Unstable Constitutionalism – Law & Politics in South AsiaLink opens in a new window, M. Tushnet and M. Khosla (eds.), Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 45-85.

- Mara Malagodi, 2013. ‘Protection of Religious Rights in India’ in The Protection of Religious Rights: Law & Practice, J. Dingemans et al. (eds.), Oxford: Oxford University Press, 177-194.

- Mara Malagodi, 2013. ‘Constitutional Developments in a Himalayan Kingdom: The Experience of Nepal’ in Comparative Constitutionalism in South Asia, S. Khilnani et al. (eds.), Delhi: Oxford University Press, 87-115.

- Mara Malagodi, 2012. ‘Constitutional Change and the Quest for Legal Inclusion in Nepal’ in Rights in Divided Societies, C. Harvey and A. Schwartz (eds.), Oxford: Hart Publishing, 169-195.

Impact and Policy

Impact

SEXUAL AND REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH RIGHTS

Since 2018, Dr Mara Malagodi has been leading the collaborative project #DesignTheLawNepalLink opens in a new window, which aims to create a space for all Nepali citizens to understand and realise their sexual and reproductive health rights by using accessible language and engaging explainers to mobilise the power of visual communication methods.

This is a joint project with Professor Emily AllbonLink opens in a new window, a legal design expert, and Dr Sabrina GermainLink opens in a new window, a medical law expert, at the City Law School (University of London), iProbonoLink opens in a new window, and the Law and Policy Forum for Social Justice (LAPSOJ)Link opens in a new window.

The Legal Design Toolkit has been illustrated by Nepali artist Kripa JoshiLink opens in a new window. It contains case law and legislation explainers to make complex legal processes and policies about SRHR easy to understand and accessible to all. It also features persona cards that represent the lived experience of individuals who face different challenges in accessing sexual and reproductive healthcare. The Toolkit is designed to foster an approach to the enforcement of sexual and reproductive health rights centred around the needs of service users.

The English version of the Legal Design Toolkit and User Manual are available to download free of cost from iProbono's website HERELink opens in a new window.

The Toolkit was officially launched in Kathmandu in September 2024 under the aegis of former Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Nepal, the Honourable Kalyan Shrestha and Justice of the Supreme Court of Nepal the Honourable Hari Phuyal. Details of the event are available HERELink opens in a new window.

#DesignTheLawNepal has been supported by the Rule of Law Expertise (ROLE) UKLink opens in a new window programme funded by the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) and managed by Advocates for International Development (A4ID), the City Law School, the ESRC Impact Fund at the University of Warwick, the Chinese University of Hong Kong, and the Global Challenges Research Fund.

LEGAL GENDER RECOGNITION

In 2023-24, Dr Malagodi served as an Expert Reviewer for the Human Rights Watch report “We Have to Beg So Many People” Human Rights Violations in Nepal’s Gender Recognition PracticesLink opens in a new window in light of her expertise on gender constitutionalism and comparative constitutional law.

In 2023, Dr Malagodi co-authored with Professor Holning Lau an Expert ReportLink opens in a new window in support of Rukshana Kapali’s case in the Supreme Court of Nepal. Ms Kapali sought recognition as a binary trans woman in all her identity documents. She was informed orally by the Court in November 2023 that her application had been successful, and the full judgment was handed down in 2024. The English translation of the judgment can be found HERELink opens in a new window.

Ms Kapali was selected as one of the 2023 BBC 100 WomenLink opens in a new window and 2024 TIME100 NextLink opens in a new window.

In 2024, our Export Report was revised for publication in the University of Pennsylvania Journal of International LawLink opens in a new window.

Policy Reports

- Mara Malagodi, 2019. Godot Has Arrived – Federal Restructuring in NepalLink opens in a new window. Forum of Federations.

- Mara Malagodi, 2018. BTI 2018: Nepal Country Report. Bertelsman Stiftung.

- Mara Malagodi, 2014. ‘Judicial Accountability and Independence in Nepal’ in Post Peace Agreement Constitution Making in NepalLink opens in a new window ,Link opens in a new window R. Edrisinha and B. Karki (eds.), Kathmandu: UNDP Nepal, 291-304.

- Mara Malagodi, 2011. ‘Nepal: History’ in The Europa Regional Surveys of the World, London: Routledge, 460-476.

- Mara Malagodi, 2010. ‘The Cost of Reconciliation – Impunity and Accountability in Post-Conflict Nepal’ in Law & Society Trust Review 21, 35-47.

Blogs

- Mara Malagodi, 2024. ‘Documenting Injustice: Constitutional Challenges on Celluloid – A Reportage from Sheffield DocFest 2024’ (23 June 2024) ICONnectLink opens in a new window.

- Mara Malagodi, 2021. ‘Gender Equality and the Complete Decriminalisation of Abortion’ (10 November 2021) ICONnectLink opens in a new window.

- Mara Malagodi, Rehan Abeyratne, and Ngoc Bui Son, 2021. ‘Constituent Power and the Politics of Unamendability’ (8 September 2021) ICONnectLink opens in a new window.

- Mara Malagodi, 2021. ‘New Frontiers of Gender Constitutionalism in Asia, Part 2: Gender Identity and Sexuality’ (14 July 2021) ICONnectLink opens in a new window.

- Mara Malagodi, 2021. ‘New Frontiers of Gender Constitutionalism in Asia, Part 1: Sexual and Reproductive Rights’ (13 May 2021) ICONnectLink opens in a new window.

- Mara Malagodi, 2021. ‘The Blurred Line between Law and Politics: The Supreme Court of Nepal Blocks a Parliamentary Dissolution’ (10 March 2021) ICONnectLink opens in a new window.

- Mara Malagodi, 2021. ‘International Assistance to Constitution Making between Principle and Expediency’ (13 January 2021) ICONnectLink opens in a new window.

- Mara Malagodi, 2019. ‘Kalyan Shrestha: A Foundational, Not Towering Judge’ in Joint Symposium on Towering Judges (22 March 2019) ICONnectLink opens in a new window.

- Mara Malagodi, 2015. ‘Cow Protection, Hindu Revivalism, and Constitutional Politics in India and Nepal’ Ballots & Bullets | School of Politics & International Relations, University of NottinghamLink opens in a new window.

- Mara Malagodi, 2015. ‘Nepal’s Constitutional Crisis’ Journal of Indian Law and Society BlogLink opens in a new window.

- Mara Malagodi, 2014. ‘The Saga of Nepal’s Embattled Constitutional Politics Continues’ LSE South Asia BlogLink opens in a new window.

- Mara Malagodi, 2013. ‘#NepalCounts: A Post-Mortem of the CA2 Elections’ LSE South Asia BlogLink opens in a new window.

- Mara Malagodi, 2013. ‘Nepal at the polls’ LSE South Asia BlogLink opens in a new window.

- Mara Malagodi, 2013. ‘Constitutionalism, State Restructuring, and Identity Politics in Nepal’ LSE South Asia BlogLink opens in a new window.

- Mara Malagodi, 2010. ‘Nepal’s Difficult Constitutional Transition’ Open DemocracyLink opens in a new window.

Teaching Research Supervision Social Media Scholarship