The Bar Council of Bhutan is urging its members to provide free legal services, more often, to the marginalised and vulnerable population. This was discussed during the Bar Council’s first annual general meeting in Paro, today. Her Royal Highness Princess Sonam Dechan Wangchuck graced the opening of the three-day event. The United Nations Development Fund is supporting the meeting.
One of the primary objectives of the general meeting is to advocate Bar Council members of the significance of pro bono services, especially for the disadvantaged and vulnerable groups.
According to the Bar Council’s vice president, pro bono legal advice and representation enhances access to justice for all.
“In these three days, we are bringing together the bar and bench, which is the core justice service provider to work on how to improve the accessibility to the justice system in the country. This is why the first annual general meeting of the Bar Council is being held,” said Rinzin Penjor, vice president of the Bar Council of Bhutan.
Legal representatives and firms that provided pro bono services to clients were recognised during the meeting. The Latin phrase “pro bono” refers to legal services provided to a client without fee.
Records show that the Bar Council received 85 cases requesting pro bono legal aid. After review by the National Legal Aid Centre, 16 of the total requests were provided pro bono legal aid.
The records date back to October 2022, when the Bhutan National Legal Aid Centre was established. There are 300 attorneys registered with the Bar Council of Bhutan.
“Before the cases arrive at the Bar Council of Bhutan, it has to undergo scrutiny from the Bhutan National Legal Aid Centre to see if they merit pro bono services. Only people who meet certain criteria are sent to the Bar Council of Bhutan. Then only we facilitate the pro bono services,” said Chimi Dorji, registrar of the Bar Council of Bhutan.
“It is our responsibility to help the needy and genuine clients. And it is also a sense of paying back to the society. Earlier when we first started the pro bono cases many of my colleagues did not show interest. Now, maybe through communication and advice from the experts, many are showing interest in working on pro bono cases,” said Sonam Yangden, an attorney at Bhutanese Legal Solutions.
In addition, an assessment of the legal profession’s current status within the judicial system will be conducted during the meeting.
Cooperation between the legal community and justice institutions will be encouraged to improve access to justice, educate members on professional standards, and maintain public confidence.
Namgay Wangchuk, Paro
Edited by Sherub Dorji
