About JusTICe
The future of justice will not wait
AI and digital systems are moving from experimentation into everyday institutional life. JusTICe exists so that Bhutan shapes that change deliberately and mindfully.
Why now
A moment to shape, not only to follow
Digital platforms, data, and artificial intelligence are changing the tools used within justice systems, how legal professionals work, and how citizens access and experience justice.
They offer real gains in accessibility, efficiency, and transparency. They also raise questions of privacy, bias, accountability, human oversight, and environmental impact that cannot be separated from decisions about the technology itself.
For Bhutan, this is an opportunity to shape the emerging future responsibly, in line with the country's constitutional values and the principles of Gross National Happiness: human dignity, inclusion, compassion, and wellbeing.
Ground modern digital transformation in human values, ethical stewardship, and sustainable progress.
The need
Four interconnected gaps
The needs of Bhutan's justice sector institutions, together with global developments, point to four gaps. They influence one another, and closing them together is the foundational mandate of JusTICe.
Knowledge
Study of the legal, ethical, and institutional implications of emerging technologies.
Governance
Coordination between legal and technical frameworks, to frame public policy consistent with GNH and constitutional principles.
Innovation
A space to encourage entrepreneurship and to prototype, test, and evaluate solutions.
Inter-connected hub
An ecosystem linking justice institutions, ultimate beneficiaries, technologists, academia, changemakers, and policymakers.
Strategic foundations
Vision, mission, and purpose
Vision
To shape a just, ethical, and technologically empowered global society where innovation serves humanity and upholds the principles of GNH.
Mission
To advance justice through technology, bridging legal scholarship, digital innovation, and policy reform in service of systems that are fair, efficient, transparent, inclusive, and accessible.
Strategic purpose
To keep innovation anchored in law, human dignity, and GNH: anticipating change, generating knowledge, connecting institutions, and enabling responsible experimentation.
What guides us
Six core values
These values guide every decision, programme, and partnership.
GNH alignment
Ground all digital justice innovations, legal frameworks, and policy advice in holistic wellbeing, ethical technology, and human dignity.
Integrity
Act with transparency, fairness, and accountability, prioritising the public interest and the rule of law.
Inclusiveness
Ensure legal and digital solutions are accessible and non-discriminatory, leaving no one behind regardless of location, gender, ability, or literacy.
Collaboration
Partner openly across sectors to co-create solutions, build local talent, and strengthen the justice and technology ecosystem.
Sustainability
Make balanced, forward-looking decisions that preserve institutional resources and minimise ecological impact.
Compassionate justice
Align technology deployment with Bhutan's constitutional foundations and Buddhist values of compassion, interdependence, and harm prevention.
How it began
Shaped with 17 institutions
From 20 to 22 July 2026, representatives of 17 institutions from across Bhutan's justice, technology, and development community convened at JSW Law.
They found a justice sector still predominantly reliant on paper-based case processing, with data held in separate silos. Geography, language barriers, and uneven digital literacy continue to limit equitable access to justice for rural populations.
The consultations pointed to the need for an institutional hub that translates research into practical solutions, keeps design human-centred, and builds capacity to navigate digital transformation and AI.