A library built for Legal Research
The Library is housed in a building widely regarded as one of the finest academic library facilities in the region, combining attractive architecture with a modern and practical design. Its spaces include individual study areas, group study rooms, an audiovisual laboratory, the JSW Law Archive and special collections that reflect Bhutan’s legal, cultural and institutional heritage.
The Library operates under the JSW Law Library Policy 2026 and the JSW Law Library Guideline 2026 (the Library Manual), in force since 1 July 2026. The Chief Librarian is the administrative and operational head of the Library, and the Library Committee, chaired by the Associate Dean, RALS, governs it.
Physical collections
Legal textbooks and monographs: core and advanced texts for every JSW Law programme.
Edited volumes and reference works: encyclopaedias, dictionaries, digests and practitioner works.
Periodicals: law journals, newspapers and magazines.
Bhutanese legal materials: legislation, judgments, government publications and the JSW Law Publishing Series.
Local texts: including pecha in poti format.
Interdisciplinary resources: economics, political science, history, culture, religion and the social sciences.
Audiovisual materials: recordings, documentaries and multimedia resources.
Digital collections and legal repositories
Subscription databases: HeinOnline, ElgarOnline and LexisNexis (see Digital Databases and E-Resources).
Curated open-access resources: institutional repositories, government legal databases and international law archives.
JSW Law Institutional Repository: the scholarly output of the JSW Law community on the DSpace platform.
DLIN: from December 2027, Bhutan’s national legal database, developed by JSW Law.
Special collections
The K4 Corner
The K4 Corner, on the ground floor of the Library, is dedicated with profound respect to His Majesty the Great Fourth Druk Gyalpo Jigme Singye Wangchuck, in gratitude for His Majesty’s lifelong service, visionary leadership and devotion to the people and the nation. It is a space of honour, reflection and inspiration. The collection includes biographies, dedicated poems and narratives, official and historical portraits and photographs, documentaries and multimedia recordings, compilations of speeches and addresses, historical artefacts and memorabilia, and books and publications by or about His Majesty. Materials are displayed in secure glass cabinets and are for use in the Corner only. From 2029, a K4 Corner legal history talk will be held each year.
Special Collections
Preserving Heritage, Advancing Knowledge, Inspiring the Future
The JSW Diamond Strategy Hub (GMC Corner)
The Gelephu Mindfulness City (GMC) Corner, on the first floor, is a specialised research collection on the legal and institutional framework of GMC, which operates as a Special Administrative Region under a “One Country, Two Systems” model. By the end of 2027 it is being upgraded into the JSW Diamond Strategy Hub, adding research briefings for GMC partners, integration of GMC legal materials into DLIN and the GMC Law and Governance research programme.
- Primary legislative instruments: the Royal Charter of February 2024 and GMC Law No. 1 of 2024 (Application of Laws Act).
- Governance and constitutional framework: institutional structure, administrative arrangements and autonomy.
- Financial and commercial law: including the Singapore and Abu Dhabi Global Market (ADGM) laws adopted in GMC, and the residual application of Bhutanese law.
- GNH and policy integration: the place of GNH principles in GMC’s legal and policy framework.
- Comparative and reference materials: scholarship comparing GMC with other special administrative regions.
- Emerging areas: agri-technology, environmental and green energy law, intellectual property, digital assets, immigration and labour regulation.
The Textile Corner
Established for the Library by the Karuna Foundation in collaboration with the Royal Textile Academy, the Textile Corner preserves and presents Bhutanese textile heritage within a legal academic institution. Textile traditions are bound up with cultural identity, intellectual property, intangible heritage, trade regulation and the protection of traditional knowledge, all matters of legal significance. The Corner holds nine pairs of traditional garments, including the gho, kira, kushuthara, mathra, pesar, chagsi pangkhep, kushung and buendi, woven in silk, raw silk, cotton and wool by artisans from Khoma in Lhuentse, Radhi in Trashigang, Bumthang, Simtokha and Chubachu in Thimphu. Garments are rotated every February and August. Visitors may view the displays and use the tablets and interpretive resources under supervision; garments must not be touched.
Access policies
Who may use the Library: JSW Law faculty (full-time and visiting), students, administrative and support staff, and external members with special membership approval.
Identification: borrowers present a JSW Law identity card or other valid identification.
Non-circulating materials: reference materials, rare books, local texts, course reserves, high-demand items and special collection materials are for use in the Library only.
External membership: researchers, legal practitioners and members of the public may apply for external membership, which requires special approval and may be subject to a charge under the RALS Fee Schedule.
Security: library materials carry RFID tags, integrated with Koha, self-check facilities and CCTV.
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