The Bhutan National Legal Institute (BNLI) is the nation’s premier judicial training institution, established on 25 February 2011 under the Judicial Service Act of Bhutan, 2007, through the vision and leadership of Her Royal Highness Princess Sonam Dechan Wangchuck. The Institute is entrusted with the mandate to advance legal education, professional training, and research in law and related disciplines, thereby contributing to the development of Bhutan’s legal system and jurisprudence.
Among its many initiatives, the Institute has played a pivotal role in reviving, strengthening, and institutionalizing the age-old community-based practice of amicable dispute resolution, known as Nangkha Nangdrig. This initiative has been championed under the guidance of Her Royal Highness, Ashi Sonam Dechan Wangchuck, the Hon’ble President of the Institute.
Since its inception in 2011, BNLI has been actively engaged in training local government officials, agencies, and individuals in Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR), with a particular emphasis on mediation. At present, all courts across Bhutan are equipped with Court-Annexed Mediation services.
The Institute has also contributed significantly to legal education in Bhutan, serving as the academic faculty for the Post-Graduate Diploma in National Laws (PGDNL) program at the Royal Institute of Management, Simtokha. In addition, a Legal Officer from the Institute continues to serve as Adjunct Faculty at the Jigme Singye Wangchuck School of Law.
Research and publication form another important pillar of the Institute’s work. Notably, BNLI publishes the Bhutan Law Review, the country’s first Law Journal on a bi-annual basis, providing a scholarly platform for advancing legal thought and practice.
The Institute’s organizational structure comprises the Legal Aid Center, the Continuing Legal Education Section (CLES), the Capacity Building Section (CBS), the Research and Development Section (R&DS), the Administration and Finance Section (AFS), and the ICT & Media Section.
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