New Delhi

Chief Justice of India B R Gavai has held meetings with Bhutanese King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck and Bhutan's Prime Minister Tshering Tobgay and discussed avenues for enhancing cooperation between the judiciaries of the two nations, according to an official statement.

The CJI, who is on an official visit to Bhutan, held a meeting with Wangchuck on Saturday. He met Tobgay on Friday.

"During these meetings, the Chief Justice discussed avenues for enhancing cooperation between the judiciaries of the two countries and reaffirmed the commitment to strengthening India-Bhutan relations," said a statement.

It said the CJI further expressed the Indian judiciary's readiness to support the Bhutanese judiciary in areas of technology integration, capacity building, and knowledge exchange.

The statement said Justice Gavai also had an extensive interaction with the students and faculty of JSW School of Law. The event was graced by Princess Sonam Dechen Wangchuck and Chief Justice of Bhutan Justice Norbu Tshering.

"Addressing the students, the Chief Justice emphasised the values of compassion, wisdom, and ethical responsibility within legal education," it said.

The statement said the CJI announced that two positions of law clerks at the Supreme Court of India shall be offered annually to law graduates from Bhutan, as part of an ongoing initiative to strengthen academic engagement and professional collaboration between the judiciaries of the two nations.

The CJI also met the Chief Justice of Bhutan together with other judges of the Supreme Court of Bhutan in Thimphu on October 23.

The two chief justices held discussions on strengthening India-Bhutan judicial cooperation and exchanges.

CJI Gavai also planted a tree in the premises of the Supreme Court of Bhutan.

On October 23, Justice Gavai delivered the keynote address at an event organised by the Jigme Singye Wangchuck (JSW) School of Law at the Royal Institute of Management, Thimphu.

Observing that public trust is the judiciary's "most valuable asset", the CJI had said that courts have an active and indispensable role to play in the system of constitutional governance and in fulfilling the mandate of the Constitution.

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Speaking on the theme of "courts and constitutional governance", he had touched upon many aspects, including the active role of courts.