May 23: The Chief Justice of Bhutan will no longer be referred to as Lyonpo but will be called the Druk Gi Thrimchee. This was decided in the parliament yesterday afternoon.

The house deliberated extensively on section 2 of article 19. The people’s representative of Sipsu constituency in Samtse Durga Prasad Chhetri asked if the Chief Justice should be referred to as Lyonpo. He said if the Chief Justice is referred to as Lyonpo, it may also be necessary to refer to the Speaker as Tshogpon Lyonpo.

Supporting his submission, the National Council member from Bumthang Tshewang Jurmey said section 2 of article 20 states that the number of ministers shall be determined by the number of ministries required to provide efficient and good governance. He said if the Chief Justice is referred to as Lyonpo then, he would be a Lyonpo without a ministry and same would be the case with the Speaker.

The Chairperson of the Constitution Drafting Committee Druk Gi Thrimchee Sonam Tobgay said it does not really matter how the Chief Justice is referred to. He said the Chief Justice was referred to as Lyonpo to strengthen the judiciary.

The Agriculture Minister Lyonpo Pema Gyamtsho said in the future, if Bhutan should have a Ministry of Justice like in other countries, then there would be confusion because both the Chief Justice and the Justice Minister would be referred to as Lyonpo. This view was supported by other members of the parliament.

The Opposition Leader Tshering Tobgay, the Home and Cultural Affairs Minister Lyonpo Minjur Dorji and the National Council member Kinley Tshering said the article should be kept as it is.

They said Lyonpo is a title awarded by His Majesty the King and anybody who has been awarded the orange scarf and the rank of a minister regardless of whether they hold any ministerial portfolio or not should be referred to as Lyonpo.

They said there are many senior officials who do not hold ministerial portfolio but are referred to as Lyonpo because they have been awarded the orange scarf and the rank of a minister.

After much deliberation, the house decided that the Chief Justice of Bhutan would be referred to as Druk Gi Thrimchee.