The Constitution of the Kingdom of Bhutan

The fundamental law provides that Bhutan is a Sovereign Kingdom and the Sovereign power belongs to the people of Bhutan. The form of Government shall be that of a Democratic Constitutional Monarchy. It also provides for the structure of government which is composed of the Parliament, Executive and the Judiciary, which enjoy separation of powers. Article 5 is devoted to the environment and declares that every Bhutanese is a trustee of the Kingdom’s natural resources and environment for the benefit of the present and future generations. The constitution also provides for the Fundamental Rights, Fundamental Duties and Principles of State Policy. 

Among the Fundamental Rights are:

• The right to life, liberty and security of person
• Right to freedom of speech, opinion and expression
• Right to information, freedom of thought, conscience and religion
• Freedom of the press, radio and television
• Right to vote
• Right to freedom of movement and residence
• Right to equal access and opportunity to join the Public Service
• Right to own property
• Freedom of peaceful assembly and association
• Right to equal protection of the law, as well as the rights of an accused in a criminal proceeding