Privileges & ImmunitiesHome འཐུས་མི། མཐུན་རྐྱེན་དང་ ཁེ་དབང་ དེ་ལས་ བཀག་སྲུང་།

Chapter 3 of the National Council of Bhutan Act 2008 provides for the following privileges and immunities to a member:

1. A member has the right to speak or otherwise take part in the proceedings of the National Council or Committee, for which he/she shall enjoy the right to freedom of speech.
2. A member has the right to be  provided with information by the Government and to inspect any official document on any matter of relevance in the exercise of parliamentary mandates.
3. A member of the National Council is immune from any inquiry, arrest, detention or prosecution on account of any opinion expressed in the course of the discharge of his/her functions or votes cast in the National Council or joint sitting. No person is liable in respect of any report, paper or proceedings made or published under the authority of the National Council.
4. A member will not be prosecuted or arrested for an offence when the National Council is in session, without first informing the Chairperson.
5. The above immunities do not cover corrupt acts by any  member  in  connection  with  the  discharge of his/her duties or other acts of accepting money or any other valuables in consideration to speak or to vote in a particular manner.
6. A member of the National Council loses his/her right of immunity with the concurrence of not less than two thirds of the total number of members.
7. A member or officer of the National Council cannot be compelled to give evidence or produce documents in courts of law, relating to the proceedings of the National Council without the prior permission of the Chairperson.
8. No legal process will be served or arrest made within the precincts of the National Council without obtaining the permission of the Chairperson, whether the National Council is in session or not.
9. The National Council has the right to receive immediate information of the arrest, detention, bail, conviction, imprisonment or release of a member from the concerned authority.