Laws and Rules of the Justice Commission

The Tibetan Supreme Justice Commission has, under the provision of the Article 67 of the Charter for the Tibetans in exile, drafted the Code of Judiciary, the Code of Civil Procedure and the Evidence Act; these were enacted into law on 28 March 1996, with the approval of His Holiness the Dalai Lama.

The Code of Judiciary

This Code, consisting of 9 chapters and 84 sections with appendices, is the basic rule governing the Tibetan judicial system, its organization and jurisdiction. It explains the nature of the three levels of Tibetan Justice Commissions and their purpose, power, venue and jurisdiction; as well as about the basic requirement for instituting a case, the original suit and appeal, and the functions of the Justice Commissioners and their staffs.

The Code of Civil Procedure

This Code, consisting of 15 chapters and 89 sections with appendices, is the law governing the procedural rules of the Tibetan Justice Commissions. It provides a detailed guidelines on the procedures (who, how, at what time and at which place etc.) to be adopted by the parties in filing the case and making claims or objections before the Tibetan Justice Commissions in accordance with the Tibetan Code of Judiciary and other related laws or instruments.

Evidence Act

This Act, consisting of 14 chapters and 83 sections, is a principal law regulating the weight and sufficiency of evidences in the legal proceedings. It provides a detailed guideline on the different types of evidences, admissibility of evidences, veracity of witnesses, examination of witnesses and the standard of proof.

As we gain more experience, we plan to make amendments to the Codes and Acts already existing, and introduce new Codes and Acts as and when necessary.