E/CN.4/1997/4/Add.2 page 7 32. Records in places of detention. Monitoring of the lawfulness of the detention of persons deprived of liberty would require improvement and, in particular, standardization of the presentation and keeping of records in places of detention. These records should include all procedures to which persons taken into custody are subject (detention and the reason for it, time of travel, transfer, first appearance before a judge, appearance before the court for trial, disciplinary measures, release, etc.). Such monitoring can furthermore be expected to help reduce prison overcrowding. 33. Legislation concerning aliens. Regarding the status of aliens, the Working Group noted that limitations appear to be placed by the Constitution on the safeguards of human rights, which seem in part not to apply to non-nationals. III. 34. CONCLUSIONS The Working Group's findings may be summarized as follows: (a) The transition from an absolute and authoritarian monarchical system to a modern system of constitutional monarchy has been effected, enabling Nepal gradually to establish, at the normative level, a very advanced system based on the rule of law; (b) While positive in terms of principles, the implementation of this legislation is problematic and slow, both because of the low standard of living of a large part of the population and because of the weight of previous practices and attitudes, which are slow to change in many areas concerned with law enforcement; (c) It would seem that this handicap can gradually be overcome thanks to the dynamics of the new system governed by the rule of law and also to an emerging human rights culture, a factor which could be strengthened by intensifying the awareness of civil servants and officials responsible for law enforcement through human rights training, while at the same time showing a greater firmness towards State officials who infringe human rights in the performance of their duties, and making that approach known by example. IV. RECOMMENDATIONS 35. In the light of the above comments, the Working Group recommends that the following measures should be taken: Measures to reduce overcrowding in prisons and to monitor the lawfulness of detention (a) Programmes of awareness raising and training of judges to ensure that the 25-day maximum period for the initial stage of pre-trial detention is strictly observed; (b) Keeping of standardized records of persons received into custody in all places of deprivation of liberty;