The Dr Rajendra Prasad National Law University, Prayagraj (RPNLU) recently hosted an Indo-Bhutan Workshop on 'Professional Ethics', bringing together legal luminaries from Bhutan and India for a discussion on the role of ethics in the legal profession, with a special focus on judicial ethics.
The distinguished speakers included Vice President, Bar Council of Bhutan and former Judge, Supreme Court of Bhutan, Justice Rinzin Penjor, Registrar, Bar Council of Bhutan, Chhime Dorji, and Council Member, Bar Council of Bhutan, Sonam Yangden.
The workshop began with opening remarks by Vice Chancellor, RPNLU, Professor (Dr) Usha Tandon, who welcomed the distinguished guests and emphasized the importance of professional ethics in various phases of the professional journey.
In his keynote session, Justice Rinzin Penjor spoke on the essence of judicial ethics, stating that the judiciary is not only a legal institution but also a moral one, anchored in integrity, impartiality, and discipline. He drew attention to challenges such as judicial backlogs while reiterating the ethical duty of judges to ensure fairness and equal treatment in every case.
Citing Indian Supreme Court judges, Justice VR Krishna Iyer and Justice HR Khanna, he also recalled moments in India’s judicial history that stood as shining examples of courage and professional ethics. He further connected these discussions to international standards, referencing the Bangalore Principles of Judicial Conduct (2002).
Adding the Bhutanese perspective, Justice Penjor reflected on the Bhutan Judicial Services Act of 2007, which mandates judges to remain free from political influence while upholding strict ethical codes. He underlined that while Bhutan’s judiciary is smaller in scale, the challenges of maintaining ethical standards remain paramount.
Sonam Yangden highlighted that ethics is about the choices one makes with courage, even when unobserved. She spoke of qualities such as diligence, integrity, strong legal knowledge, and a strong work ethic, which are required to preserve the dignity of the legal profession.
Chhime Dorji too emphasized the core values of professional ethics, noting that while law provides authority, it is ethics that confers legitimacy on the legal profession.
During the Question-and-Answer round, students raised questions on the issues such as role of professional ethics in the era of AI, professional ethics of judges in courtroom, the dilemma of practicing ethics in corrupt environment, the views of young professionals when it comes to survival and growth in a corporate law firm without compromising on ethics and how to maintain integrity and ethical standards while navigating economic pressures, litigation, and personal ambitions.
The panelists explained that professional ethics lies in one's consciousness, and can be practiced anywhere in any circumstances.
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