Exile parliament elects new justices for Tibetans’ apex judicial body

(TibetanReview.net, Mar29’25) – With the issue of the continuance in office of the controversially ousted justice commissioners of the Tibetan Supreme Justice commission (TSJC) of the Central Tibetan Administration (CTA) out of the way by retirements or end of term, the Tibetan Parliament in Exile (TPiE) on Mar 28 elected a new chief justice commissioner and the other two justice commissioners.

The new Chief Justice Commissioner is Yeshi Wangmo, who formerly served as the secretary of the TSJC secretariat. She received 31 votes, beating Sonam Gyaltsen, former TPiE member and senior History Professor of the College for Higher Tibetan Studies (Sarah), who received 12 votes. She will become the first woman to serve in the TSJC.

She will be joined by TPiE member Dawa Phunkyi, who won with 25 votes, and Phagpa Tsering, who polled 31 votes, as the two other justice commissioners of the TSJC. The latter is a former Kalon (minister) of the Security Department of the CTA. Dawa Phunkyi is long-serving Chief Administrator of the Tibetan Delek Hospital, Dharamshala.

The other candidates were law graduate Phurbu Dorjee, TPiE member Youdon Aukatsang, and former TPiE member Gyari Kalsang Tsewang, who received 9, 4, and 12 votes respectively.

During the same session, the TPiE elected Mr Tashi Topgyal, with 32 votes, as the new Auditor General of the CTA, following the untimely death of the recently elected Mr Lhakpa Gyaltsen. He already serves as the Secretary of the CTA’s Audit office, of which he will now be the head.

The 9^th session of the 17^th TPiE began on Mar 17 and will continue till Mar 31. The March session is generally devoted to discussing the annual budget of the CTA.