Ugyen Thinley Speaks at Law Library of Congress Webinar

Mr. Ugyen Thinley, Director of Library Resources and Services at JSW School of Law, was invited by Ms. Aslihan Bulut, Head of the Law Library of Congress, to present at a Foreign and Comparative Law Webinar on 18 July 2024. Mr. Thinley spoke on “Laws on Happiness: The Legal System and Legislation of Bhutan” to an audience of 170 participants, including law professors, lawyers, and librarians.

He introduced Bhutan’s first law school and discussed how the concept of Gross National Happiness (GNH) shapes Bhutan’s legal framework. Attendees were particularly impressed by Bhutan’s environmental laws, which ensure that 60% of the country’s land remains under forest cover. Mr. Thinley also spent a week at the Library of Congress, where he reviewed and made recommendations on collections related to Bhutan.

This presentation followed his recent participation in the American Association of Law Libraries (AALL) Annual Meeting & Conference, where he was honoured with the 2023-2024 FCIL Schaffer Grant for Foreign Law Librarians.