Dharamshala November 15 – Around 100 Tibetans comprising of 39 local justice commissioners, law students and Tibetan advocates from India, Nepal and Bhutan have converged here for a training workshop and a conference on Tibetan Judicial system. The participants will learn the Tibetan Code of Judiciary, Civil Procedural Code and Law of evidence.
It would be best to “heal the sore in the mouth itself”, said the Chief Justice Commissioner indicating that the civil cases filed under the Tibetan judicial system should be solved within the system itself and not taken to an external court. He added that the purpose of setting up a judicial system in the exile community is to resolve common civil disputes among individuals, between individual and the government, organizations etc of the Tibetan exile community within the community itself.
The Chief Justice Commissioner was speaking today at the inaugural function of the week-long education program organized by the Tibetan Supreme Justice Commission at Gangchen Kyishong.
The inaugural function was attended by the Kalon Tripa Prof. Samdhong Rinpoche as the chief guest, Mr. Karma Choephel representing the Assembly of the Tibetan People’s Deputies, Namgyal Tsering Dralnang, the Chief Justice Commissioner and his deputies.
The Kalon Tripa stated that it is not a ‘virtuous behavior’ to approach a court outside the purview of Tibetan judiciary enshrined under the Tibetan charter since the petitioner and opponent are bound under an obligation before an agreement for an acceptance of the final verdict. He assured that his government will provide financial facilitation for legal suit against Tibetan Justice Commissioners and assistance in finding good lawyers in courts outside the purview of the Tibetan judiciary.
Mr. Karma Choephel said that the judiciary is the most important aspect of a democracy and that without a judiciary system there can not be democracy. “Every Tibetan must respect the Tibetan judiciary and uphold the Supreme Justice Commission’s verdicts.”
