Joint Sitting deliberates on the disputed clauses of the Royal Bhutan Police (Amendment) Bill 2021
The Joint Sitting of the Parliament today deliberated on the recommendations of the Joint Committee on the Royal Bhutan Police (Amendment) Bill 2021. The Joint Committee was instituted to review the disputed clauses of the Royal Bhutan Police (Amendment) Bill 2021 between the two Houses of Parliament.
The Chairperson of the Joint Committee, Hon’ble Nima, the Member of the National Council from Bumthang Dzongkhag presented the Committee’s 9 recommendations on the Bill which included a section on “Repeal” inclusive of several sections of the Royal Bhutan Police Act 2009, which gets repealed by the Amendment Bill. The other disputed clauses are the new Sections 16(A), 16(B), 16(C), 71(A), 125(A) and Sections 41(C), 60, 125.
The Chairperson submitted that the Committee had reviewed the disputed clauses thoroughly through various consultation meetings with the relevant agencies in person as well as virtually. The Chairperson further submitted that the Joint Committee had come to a consensus on 8 disputed clauses except on Section 71A concerning the Prosecutor Allowance for the prosecutors of the Royal Bhutan Police. However, it was endorsed by the House through a majority show of hands.
The Joint Sitting extensively deliberated on all the 9 disputed clauses of the Bill and endorsed the recommendations of the Joint Committee with all the 70 Members present and voting, voting in favor. The Bill will be submitted to His Majesty the King for Royal Assent.
