Chief Justice of India Offers Support for Digitising Bhutan’s Judicial Processes

CJI Surya Kant meets Bhutan king in Thimphu, offers support to digitalise judicial processes

PTI, March 5, 2026, New Delhi:  Chief Justice of India Surya Kant on Thursday met the King of Bhutan, Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck, in Thimphu and offered comprehensive support for technical assistance and development of best practices in the digitisation and digitalisation of judicial processes in the Himalayan nation.

The CJI also met Bhutan's Prime Minister Tshering Tobgay on Wednesday to discuss judicial cooperation, legal education, technological challenges and bilateral ties between the two countries, officials said.

A press statement issued by the Supreme Court said CJI Kant received an audience with the king and both exchanged views to further enhance and strengthen bilateral ties between India and Bhutan.

During the deliberations, CJI Kant offered to facilitate internship opportunities for students from the JSW School of Law in Bhutan. These internships would provide exposure to the functioning of courts, legal drafting, pleadings and advocacy, as well as insights into how senior lawyers prepare and argue cases.

The statement on the CJI’s meeting with the King of Bhutan said both leaders also deliberated on the emergent proliferation of cybercrimes and how India and Bhutan can make joint efforts to prevent and prosecute such offences.

Delivering a keynote address at the Royal University of Bhutan in Thimphu on “Access to Justice in the 21st Century: Technology, Legal Aid and People Centred Courts”, CJI Kant said that he had conveyed to Prime Minister Tshering Tobgay that the Supreme Court of India, along with the high courts, would be delighted to offer internship opportunities to Bhutanese students.

He added that it would be a privilege for the Indian judiciary to facilitate student exchanges, including providing boarding and lodging where necessary, so that financial constraints do not stand in the way of meaningful legal exposure.

“Experiencing the workings of the court firsthand is an essential part of quality legal education,” he said on offering internships to Bhutanese students.

He said technology is redefining how legal tasks are performed, how legal professionals and judges engage with information, and crucially, how citizens access justice.

“From the automation of filings to the use of artificial intelligence in research and analytics, technology today permeates every layer of legal functioning. Yet, this change is not about replacing human judgment; rather, it is about amplifying its reach, precision and purpose,” CJI Kant said.

“Case management systems, electronic registries and digital filing platforms have brought about an unprecedented degree of transparency and efficiency. The once paper-heavy corridors of the judicial offices are now being replaced by dashboards that track filings, listings and pendency in real time.”

“Judicial officers can now access case histories, precedents and hearing transcripts at a glance, enabling faster and more informed decision-making,” he underscored.

The CJI suggested that for a jurisdiction of Bhutan's scale, the most effective reforms are not necessarily the most expensive, but the most integrated, and the country should adopt a “justice kiosk” model, which would allow a villager in Lhuentse to participate in a hearing in Thimphu without the exhausting and expensive journey across the lateral highway.