༄། །འབྲུག་རྒྱལ་ཡོངས་ཁྲིམས་དོན་གཙུག་སྡེ། Bhutan National Legal Institute

20/05/2026

20 May, 2026: 𝐋𝐞𝐠𝐚𝐥 𝐋𝐢𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐲 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐠𝐫𝐚𝐦 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐋𝐆 𝐋𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐬 - 𝐏𝐮𝐧𝐚𝐤𝐡𝐚

With the support from the EU in India, UNDP Bhutan, a three-day Legal Literacy Program for Local Government leaders of Punakha Dzongkhag successfully concluded today. The program, which ran from May 18 - 20, 2026, in Punakha, brought together 24 participants, including Gups, Mangmis, Tshogpas, Thromde Ngotshab, and the Dzongkhag Legal Officer.

Designed to enhance the legal capacity of local leaders, the program provided comprehensive, engaging sessions on key legislation vital to local administration and community vitality.

To reinforce inclusive, fair, and people-centred governance, the program also integrated Disability Equality Training and Gender Transformative Approaches to Justice.

15/05/2026

15 May, 2026: 𝐂𝐚𝐩𝐚𝐜𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐁𝐮𝐢𝐥𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐠𝐫𝐚𝐦 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐁𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐡 𝐂𝐥𝐞𝐫𝐤𝐬

The Bhutan National Legal Institute (BNLI) successfully concluded a one-day Capacity Building Program on Child-Friendly Judicial Procedures, a pivotal initiative aimed at reinforcing the standards of child justice across Bhutan’s legal landscape.

By bringing together 17 Bench Clerks from the Supreme Court, High Court, five specialized Benches of Thimphu Dzongkhag Court, Legal Aid Center, and Enforcement Unit and the Registry of Thimphu Dzongkhag Court, the program sought to institutionalise the knowledge and sensitivity needed to navigate cases involving minors.

The sessions featured profound legislative insights from a Justice of the Supreme Court, who played a foundational role in drafting the Child Care and Protection Act (CCPA) and the Child Adoption Act, alongside practical expertise from a Drangpon of the Family and Child Bench on judicial pronouncements.

Furthermore, a Child Protection Officer from UNICEF Bhutan bridged international principles with local practice by delivering a comprehensive session on the UNCRC and Justice for Children.

This collaborative milestone was made possible through the generous financial assistance and technical expertise of UNICEF Bhutan, underscoring our collective commitment to ensuring a more compassionate, child-centric, and accessible justice system for the youth of Bhutan.

Judiciary of Bhutan

14/05/2026

𝐈𝐧𝐯𝐢𝐭𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐭𝐨 𝐬𝐮𝐛𝐦𝐢𝐭 𝐬𝐮𝐢𝐭𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐞 𝐨𝐟𝐟𝐢𝐜𝐞 𝐬𝐩𝐚𝐜𝐞 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐩𝐨𝐬𝐚𝐥𝐬 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐞

14/05/2026

14 May 2026: 𝐓𝐫𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐨𝐧 𝐄𝐧𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐈𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐒𝐤𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐬

The two-day training on statutory interpretation commenced today in Thimphu, bringing together 22 participants, including Court Registrars of the Judiciary of Bhutan and Counsels from the Bhutan ADR Centre.

The training aims to strengthen participants’ understanding and practical application of the principles of statutory interpretation, promote greater clarity, coherence, and consistency in the interpretation of laws, and enhance the professional competence of judicial officials in the effective administration of justice.

The programme is funded by the Government of India.

India in Bhutan (Embassy of India, Thimphu)

13/05/2026

13 May 2026: 𝐃𝐢𝐚𝐥𝐨𝐠𝐮𝐞 𝐨𝐧 𝐄𝐧𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐲 𝐢𝐧 𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐭𝐮𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐲 𝐈𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐭𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧

With funding support from the Government of India (GoI), a day-long Dialogue on Enhancing Consistency in Statutory Interpretation was conducted today in Thimphu, bringing together 20 Judges from the Judiciary of Bhutan (Dzongkhag and Drungkhag Courts).

The dialogue served as an important platform for collective judicial reflection and meaningful exchange on approaches to strengthening consistency and coherence in statutory interpretation while preserving judicial independence and discretion.

The discussions focused on promoting a shared understanding of the application of substantive and procedural laws, addressing anomalies and ambiguities in existing legislation, enhancing legal certainty, and reducing interpretive divergence across courts.

It also emphasized the importance of coherent judicial reasoning and uniform interpretative approaches in fostering predictability, fairness, and public confidence in the justice system.

India in Bhutan (Embassy of India, Thimphu)

11/05/2026

11 May 2026: 𝐃𝐢𝐚𝐥𝐨𝐠𝐮𝐞 𝐨𝐧 𝐄𝐧𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐔𝐧𝐢𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐦𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐢𝐧 𝐉𝐮𝐝𝐠𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐃𝐫𝐚𝐟𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠

The two-day Dialogue on Enhancing Uniformity in Judgment Drafting commenced today in Thimphu, bringing together 25 Judges of the Judiciary of Bhutan (Dzongkhag and Drungkhag Courts), with Justices from the Supreme Court and the High Court serving as resource persons.

The dialogue focuses on strengthening consistency, clarity, structure, and judicial reasoning through sessions on judgment-drafting principles, comparative International practices, the FIRAC methodology, practical exercises, peer review, and the development of judgment-drafting guidelines and templates.

This initiative is conducted with the generous financial support of the Government of India, whose funding was vital to the ex*****on of this initiative.

India in Bhutan (Embassy of India, Thimphu)

07/05/2026

7 May 2026: 𝐈𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐧𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐂𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐞𝐫𝐜𝐢𝐚𝐥 𝐀𝐫𝐛𝐢𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐓𝐫𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐉𝐮𝐝𝐠𝐞𝐬

A day-long training session on International Commercial Arbitration for judges of the Judiciary of Bhutan was held today in Thimphu as part of the ongoing 𝐒𝐩𝐞𝐜𝐢𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐓𝐫𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐠𝐫𝐚𝐦𝐦𝐞. The programme was organised in collaboration with the Bhutan ADR Centre and featured experts from the Singapore International Arbitration Centre (SIAC).

The sessions covered key areas, including the UNCITRAL Model Law, the New York Convention, core principles of arbitration, the SIAC Rules 2025, interim measures, arbitral tribunal procedures, and the role of courts in supporting and supervising arbitration. The programme also provided practical insights into drafting well-reasoned arbitral awards and the principles governing the award of costs.

The training provided valuable exposure to international best practices and comparative perspectives, thereby strengthening the judiciary’s capacity to handle arbitration-related matters effectively.

04/05/2026

4 May 2026: 𝐒𝐩𝐞𝐜𝐢𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐳𝐞𝐝 𝐓𝐫𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐉𝐮𝐝𝐠𝐞𝐬

The Specialized Training Programme on "𝐅𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐢𝐚𝐥 𝐀𝐧𝐚𝐥𝐲𝐬𝐢𝐬 𝐢𝐧 𝐏𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐞: 𝑺𝒕𝒓𝒆𝒏𝒈𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒏𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝑭𝒊𝒏𝒂𝒏𝒄𝒊𝒂𝒍 𝑼𝒏𝒅𝒆𝒓𝒔𝒕𝒂𝒏𝒅𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝑫𝒆𝒄𝒊𝒔𝒊𝒐𝒏-𝑴𝒂𝒌𝒊𝒏𝒈" commenced today in Thimphu with funding support from the Royal Government of Bhutan (RGoB).

The six-day programme has brought together 𝟐𝟑 𝐣𝐮𝐝𝐠𝐞𝐬 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐭𝐡𝐞 Judiciary of Bhutan to deepen their practical understanding of financial statements, banking operations, valuation methods, and the assessment of financial evidence in court proceedings. The training is designed to strengthen judicial capacity in handling increasingly complex commercial and financial cases with greater confidence, consistency, and precision.

The programme features a distinguished panel of resource persons drawn from the banking, finance, and corporate sectors, providing participants with practical insights into contemporary financial systems and practices. It also includes a dedicated module on 𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐧𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐞𝐫𝐜𝐢𝐚𝐥 𝐚𝐫𝐛𝐢𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧, reflecting its growing significance in commercial dispute resolution, with expert support from the 𝐒𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐚𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐈𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐧𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐀𝐫𝐛𝐢𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐂𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐫𝐞 (𝐒𝐈𝐀𝐂) and the Bhutan ADR Centre (BADRC).

Through interactive and case-based learning over the coming days, participants will examine the intersection of financial principles and legal reasoning, reinforcing the judiciary’s vital role in promoting fairness, certainty, and trust in the commercial justice system.

A strong and capable judiciary remains fundamental to economic confidence, investment security, and the rule of law. This programme marks another important step in strengthening judicial excellence in the service of Bhutan’s evolving legal and economic landscape.

01/05/2026

1 May 2026: 𝟏𝟏𝟒𝐭𝐡 𝐒𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐉𝐮𝐝𝐠𝐞𝐬’ 𝐁𝐨𝐨𝐤 𝐂𝐥𝐮𝐛

The Bhutan National Legal Institute (BNLI) convened the 114th Session of the Judges’ Book Club. The session featured a presentation by Ms. Deki Zam Dorji, Offg. Chief Legal Officer, on 𝐍𝐨𝐢𝐬𝐞: 𝐀 𝐅𝐥𝐚𝐰 𝐢𝐧 𝐇𝐮𝐦𝐚𝐧 𝐉𝐮𝐝𝐠𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 by Daniel Kahneman, Olivier Sibony, and Cass R. Sunstein.

The book advances a central distinction in decision science: while bias refers to systematic error, “𝒏𝒐𝒊𝒔𝒆” refers to unwanted variability in judgment—different decisions reached in similar cases by equally competent decision-makers. It argues that such variability is often overlooked, yet has significant implications for fairness, predictability, & institutional trust.

The presentation examined the relevance of this concept to judicial decision-making, where consistency & reasoned discretion must coexist. It highlighted that even well-founded judgments may diverge due to contextual & cognitive factors, & that awareness of this phenomenon can strengthen—not constrain—judicial reasoning.

The discussion also considered structured approaches that may help reduce unnecessary variability, including clearer decision frameworks & disciplined reasoning practices, while preserving the independence essential to adjudication.

The session provided a focused reflection on how insights from 𝑵𝒐𝒊𝒔𝒆 can inform efforts to enhance coherence, fairness, & confidence in judicial decision-making.

𝐂𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐓𝐡𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐬:

𝐍𝐨𝐢𝐬𝐞: Unwanted variability in human judgment.
𝐁𝐢𝐚𝐬 𝐯𝐬. 𝐍𝐨𝐢𝐬𝐞: Systematic error versus inconsistency.
𝐉𝐮𝐝𝐢𝐜𝐢𝐚𝐥 𝐃𝐞𝐜𝐢𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧-𝐌𝐚𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠: Consistency within legitimate discretion.
𝐒𝐭𝐫𝐮𝐜𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞𝐝 𝐑𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐨𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠: Practices that support clearer adjudication.

01/05/2026