Law enforcement in Bhutan

The Ministry of Home and Cultural Affairs is itself a part of the Bhutanese Lhengye Zhungtshog, or Council of Ministers.

As a means of enforcement, police and immigration authorities prosecute cases in the judicial system through the Attorney General of Bhutan.

[4] In judicial proceedings, all law enforcement agencies are represented and advised by the Attorney General of Bhutan.

It implements regulations and policies relating to visas, foreign labor recruitment and inspection, importation of goods, and border security.

[7] Its officers are granted broad authority and discretion in policing both public and private spheres, at the border and within Bhutan.

[13] The National Security Act is a series of sixteen articles enacted by the parliament of Bhutan on November 2, 1992, that superseded the provisions of the Thrimshung of 1957 pertaining to treason.

It also metes out the same penalties for those who commit any overt act intending to aid and comfort enemies to deliberately and voluntarily betray the royal government.

Under the act, whoever conspires within or outside Bhutan to commit any of these offenses is to be punished with imprisonment for up to ten years.

Furthermore, the Act allows up to three years' imprisonment for those who speak or act to promote or attempt to promote "feelings of enmity or hatred between different religious, racial or language groups or castes and communities, or commits any act which is prejudicial to the maintenance of harmony between different religious, racial or language groups or castes or communities, and which disturbs or is likely to disturb the public tranquility."

It further authorizes any magistrate or police officer-in-charge to command any unlawful assembly of five or more persons to disburse if they are likely to cause a disturbance of the peace.

Likewise, those armed with any deadly weapon as a member of an unlawful assembly are to be punished with imprisonment which may extend to two years.

[14] As a modern nation, Bhutan revised the Tsa Yig in 1957 and ostensibly replaced it with a new code in 1965.

In modern Bhutan, village heads often judged minor cases and dzongkhag (district) officials adjudicated major crimes.