Judiciary: The Tibetan Supreme Justice Commission
His Holiness the Fourteenth Dalai Lama, the spiritual and temporal
leader of the Tibetan people, has often guided the Tibetans onto the
path of modern, democratic system in order to ensure their short-and
long-term benefit and happiness. Accordingly as enshrined in the
Charter for the Tibetans in exile passed by the 11th Assembly of
Tibetan People's Deputies (now referred to as the Tibetan
Parliament-in-Exile), the Executive, the Legislature and the
Judiciary-the three pillars of the democratic government of Tibetan
exiles founded on the marriage of the spiritual and political
values-were instituted with the separation of equal powers among them.
Judiciary is one of the most important organs of a democratic
institution. Whenever an issue of contention arises in the course of
the Executive's implementation of any law enacted by the Legislature,
the Judiciary-which is independent of both the Executive and the
Legislature-interprets, or makes decisions thereof; thus protecting the
rule of law by guaranteeing justice to all and making the whole of the
institution of democracy vibrant and meaningful.
The Tibetan Supreme Justice Commission, the highest judicial organ of
the Tibetan community in exile, was formally inaugurated, or
established, on 11 March 1992 (the seventh day of the first month of
the Tibetan Water-Monkey year, 2119) in Gangchen Kyishong, the
headquarter of the Central Tibetan Administration (CTA) of His Holiness
the Dalai Lama, in Dharamsala, Himachal Pradesh. Since then, it has
been performing its responsibilities.
