Tenzin Nyidon
DHARAMSHALA, March 24: On the seventh day of the ongoing budget session on Monday, lawmakers passed the first readings of three bills concerning the Tibetan Supreme Justice Commission (TSJC): the Code of Civil Procedure (Document No. 32), the Law of Evidence (Document No. 33), and the Code of Judiciary (Document No. 34).
During deliberations, MPs raised concerns about whether the proposed laws align with the Charter of Tibetans in Exile. MP Karma Gelek highlighted that these laws were originally drafted by the Tibetan Justice Commission and officially sanctioned by His Holiness the Dalai Lama on March 28, 1996. He questioned the necessity of re-passing them and how their implementation would be interpreted under the current framework.
Speaker Khenpo Sonam Tenphel addressed these concerns, clarifying that the original enactment date remains unchanged and that the legislative history of the laws remains intact. He underscored the urgency of passing these bills, noting that without them, the Justice Commissioners would lack a legal foundation to carry out their duties. He further stated that once the three Justice Commissioners are appointed, any necessary amendments to the laws could be proposed and debated.
While the primary focus of the ongoing parliamentary session is budget approval, the immediate priority remains finalizing these judicial bills to facilitate the appointment of the Chief Justice and two other justices, addressing the leadership vacuum at the TSJC. The parliamentary session has scheduled judicial appointments for March 29.
Following the discussions on the judiciary, the Parliament proceeded to approve budgets for key Tibetan offices abroad, including the Bureau du Tibet in Paris, the Office of Tibet in Pretoria, the Tibet Religious Foundation of His Holiness the Dalai Lama in Taipei, and Tibet House in Brazil. Additionally, proposed budgets for various institutions, such as the Tibetan Freedom Movement (BRDL), the Election Commission, the Public Service Commission, the Office of the Auditor General, and its branches in South India, Nepal, and Dekyiling, were also approved after deliberations.
