The occasion will be graced by Chief Justice of Bhutan Lyonpo Sonam Tobgye and Attorney General Palitha Fernando, PC at the Lakshman Kadirgamar Centre, Colombo. The event is organised by Lakshman Kadirgamar Institute for International Relations and Strategic Studies.

This symposium on Buddhist Jurisprudence is a sequel to the international conference organized by the Maha Bodhi Society of India on Buddhist Jurisprudence held in Saranath in 2012 under the auspices of the Chief Justice of Bhutan Lyonpo Sonam Tobgye.

Several delegates from India, Bhutan, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka participated in that conference. The objective of this conference is to enrich both domestic and international law with Buddhist Jurisprudence.

International Law is greatly influenced by Western thinking and ideals whilst there is very little input from Buddhist concepts. Thus we are of firm believe that it is time that we unearth and nurture the existing Jurisprudence with Buddhist concepts and values specially in the field of Humanitarian Law, International Dispute resolution etc.

The understanding, formulation and implementation of International Humanitarian Law and Human Rights need to be looked at not from the point of view that it is looked at in present but from the point of view of Metta, Karuna, Muditha and Upekka. Therefore, it is high time that common laws move away from the Western approach to a more humane Buddhist outlook.

Another objective of this conference is to bring together Buddhist countries and their Jurists, Academics and Lawyers initially in this region and thereafter extend it worldwide. This will further help to understand the common issues of Buddhist countries.

This kind of an association would assist Buddhist Jurists, Academics and Lawyers to exchange their knowledge among them and contribute to the development of the law.