Bhutan

Establishment of a National legal Institute for the Royal Court of Justice

Bhutan has made much headway in creating a reliable, fair and efficient justice system. The country has its first written Constitution in place, developed through a highly consultative process with citizens across the twenty districts. The opening of 12 Dungkhag (provincial) courts in March 2009 has resulted in taking justice nearer to the people, with a clearer delineation of responsibilities between the executive and the judiciary. The judiciary now has a standing rule to clear all cases within a year.

Bhutan's transition to a democratic constitutional monarchy has resulted in greater responsibilities for all branches of the Government and the people at large. Promoting a system of governance that is responsive and accountable to the people is key to the success of any democracy - and this is where the role of the justice system is crucial.

The Office of the Attorney General is the only prosecuting agency in Bhutan and is at a nascent stage of development. In fact, there are diverse legal requirements and ongoing discussions relating to environment, biotechnology and reproduction, to name a few, some of which are new to Bhutan.

This support from UNDP will a) enhance institutional capacity of judiciary through establishment of a legal institute and strengthen capacity of OAG to combat corruption and promoting accountability and implement activities in line with ratified international conventions and treaties.

UNDAF Outcome	4: By 2012, institutional capacity and people’s participation strengthened to ensure good governance.
CT Outcome	2.1 Enhanced national capacity in awareness raising, implementation and reporting of ratified international conventions and treaties. 2.2. Capacity of the judiciary, law enforcement and relevant agencies strengthened in developing and implementing women and child friendly procedures.
CT Output	4.2. Strengthened national capacity and systems to formulate, review and implement National legislations in line with ratified international conventions 4.3 Capacity of key institutions to support parliamentary democracy strengthened
Project Duration	January 2009 - June 2010
Budget Outlay	US$ 230,150
Link to Workplan	Click on the icon to download