JSW Law faculty research the questions that matter most to Bhutan’s legal system: how the Constitution works in practice, how the justice sector can serve citizens better, how a new Special Administrative Region at Gelephu fits within the constitutional order, and how Gross National Happiness can be expressed in law. They present at international conferences, publish in reputed journals and edited volumes, and advise institutions in Bhutan and the region.
Supporting faculty to do their best work
The Strategy rests on a simple principle: faculty excellence needs time, incentives and support.
Annual research plans:
Every full-time academic prepares an annual research plan setting out intended research, expected outputs, the support required and the funding route. Plans are discussed with the Chief Research Officer and reviewed at the end of each year.
Junior lecturer research training:
A mandatory, certified programme of twenty hours covering research design, methods, ethics, writing and publication.
Research development calendar:
Workshops on research methods, grant writing, publishing in international journals, research ethics, OSCOLA citation and responsible AI.
Authorship-ethics training:
Annual training on authorship criteria, contribution logs and research integrity.
Mentorship and writing support:
Early-career academics are paired with senior faculty or visiting scholars, and are offered writing circles and pre-submission review of manuscripts.
Recognition:
An annual RALS recognition for research, mentorship and editorial service, and a record of outputs that makes research visible in appraisal and promotion.
Publication highlights
JSW Law faculty have built a body of scholarship on areas of Bhutanese law where few books previously existed. Recent and representative outputs include:
Textbooks on Bhutanese law:
A growing list of titles in the JSW Law Publishing Series, written for students, practitioners and the courts.
National legal needs assessment:
A national report on the legal needs of the Bhutanese public, published in the JSW Law Publishing Series.
Criminal law and procedural reform:
Titles on criminal law defences and on procedural reform in Bhutan.
GNH and Law:
Faculty scholarship on law and wellbeing, published since the first volume in 2021.
JSW Journal of Law and Policy:
Faculty contributions since the first special issue on Public Contracts in November 2022.
Policy research:
Research and publications addressing contemporary legal, governance, and public policy issues relevant to Bhutan.
Ongoing research projects
| Project | Lead & Partners | Focus |
|---|---|---|
| Procedural Law Implementation Study | Sonam Tshering, Associate Professor as Principal Researcher; commissioned by the Wisdom Centre for Justice under the Justice Sector Strategic Plan II (2024-2029), supported by a UNDP and EU partnership | Agency-by-agency evaluation of how Bhutan’s procedural laws are implemented across the justice sector |
| GMC Law and Governance | Flagship programme, 2027-2028, with the JSW Diamond Strategy Hub | The hybrid legal architecture of Gelephu Mindfulness City, the application of Singapore and ADGM laws, and the residual application of Bhutanese law. |
| GMC Readiness Study | Sonam Tshering, Associate Professor as Principal Researcher; commissioned by the Wisdom Centre for Justice under the Justice Sector Strategic Plan II (2024-2029), supported by a UNDP and EU partnership | |
EVENTS
International conferences and keynotes
JSW Law faculty take Bhutanese legal scholarship to international audiences. Recent engagements include:
23rd ASLI Conference (Universitas Indonesia, 3 to 4 June 2026):
a paper on the hybrid legal architecture of Gelephu Mindfulness City.
ICCL 2026 (Galgotias University, 29 to 30 May 2026):
a keynote address on press freedom in India and Bhutan.
4th Undergraduate Summer School (Pangbisa, Paro, 8 to 20 June 2026):
hosted by JSW Law, with students from India, Australia, Italy and Bhutan and faculty from the National University of Singapore and the National Law School of India University.
Faculty are asked to send updates on conference participation and publications to the Research Centre, with a copy of the published work for the Institutional Repository.