About the Authors

Lyonpo Sonam Tobgye, born on 15th November 1949 in Nangkor, Pema Gatshel, Bhutan, is a distinguished legal figure who served as the Chief Justice of the Kingdom of Bhutan. He has had an illustrious career spanning several decades, contributing to the judiciary and legal framework of Bhutan.

After completing his primary education at Kanglung and then Dr. Graham Homes in Kalimpong, India, Sonam Tobgye embarked on a career dedicated to public service and justice, under the guidance and leadership of their Majesties, the 3rd, 4th and 5th King of Bhutan.

His notable positions include serving as Justice of the High Court from 1980 to 1985 and as Auditor General of Bhutan and Secretary of the Royal Civil Service Commission from 1985 to 1991. He then became the Chief Justice of the High Court, a role he held from 1991 until 2009.

In 2010, Sonam Tobgye was appointed as the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Bhutan, a position he held until his retirement in 2014. During his tenure, he also served as the Chief Advisor of the Interim Government in 2013.

Lyonpo Sonam Tobgye played a role in drafting the Constitution of the Kingdom of Bhutan, serving as the Chairman of the Drafting Committee from 2001 to 2008. His contributions to the legal system include the amendment and establishment of several key regulations and acts, such as the Bhutan Civil Service Rules and Regulations, the Civil and Criminal Procedure Code, and the Penal Code of Bhutan.

For his outstanding service, he has received numerous awards and honors, including the Order of the Druk Wangyel, the International Jurists Award, and an honorary doctorate from NALSAR University of Law, India. He was also honored with the rank of Minister with the Orange Scarf and the Red Scarf, equivalent to knighthood in the UK.

Lyonpo Sonam Tobgye continues to be an influential figure in the legal community, serving as a patron of the SAARCLAW organization, Honorary Bencher of the Inner Temple, ⁠London and a member of the PG Wodehouse Society.

Jeffrey Avina holds a J.D. from Harvard Law School, an M.P.A. from the Harvard Kennedy School of Government, an M.A. in Education from the Stanford University School of Education and two B.A. degrees from Stanford University.  His initial focus at Stanford including graduate level coursework was in Buddhist religious studies before formally pursuing International Relations.

Jeffrey had a 17 year career in the United Nations which followed his decision not to pursue the Wall Street Legal Career which attracted the majority of his HLS classmates. His first posting in the UN was to Bhutan, a country whose culture, and people have had a profound, lifelong impact upon him.   While he did have subsequent UNDP posts in South East Asia, Latin America and senior UN HQ posts covering Africa and then, global operations for the UN Office of Drugs and Crime, it was his Bhutan experience that affected him most deeply.  During his 5 year tenure there, his remit covered every area of development within the country’s rolling 5 Year Plans associated with the UNDP portfolio.   As the first accredited lawyer in the country at the time, and after having gained the trust of senior government officials, he also provided thousands of hours of pro bono legal support to the Bhutanese Judiciary, and particularly their first Chief Justice, Lyonpo Sonam Tobgye in modernizing and rewriting various fundamental laws within contemporary Bhutanese jurisprudence.

Post UN, Jeffrey worked for ten years with Microsoft Corporation.  In his first post, as Regional Director of Corporate Social Responsibility in Africa and the Middle East, he was responsible for setting Microsoft’s CSR strategy in 79 countries and linking Microsoft pro bono corporate offerings to government and donor expenditures in health, education, governance, and disaster management.  He subsequently served as the Regional Director of Government Relations for Asia and the Pacific working with government leaders and international agencies including the World Bank, USAID and the U.N.

Currently Jeffrey is the Vice Chairman of LeapThought Corporation, a global company promoting innovative solutions using Artificial Intelligence and Machine learning for large scale construction. Currently, over 80 percent of all large-scale construction in Singapore relies on the IT systems LeapThought Corporation provides to implement its multi-billion dollar construction portfolio.

In October 2023 Jeffrey was knighted into the 11th century Florentine order of the Parte Guelfa which was established in Florence, Italy with the approval of Pope Clement IV, who was the main European authority in the middle ages confirming the privileges of kingdoms and Institutions. current main interest. The current focus of the Parte Guelfa ,whose prior leadership included the Medici Family, the writer Dante and the sculptor and painter Michelangelo, is in environmental protection, an area of great personal importance to him and well reflected in his work in Bhutan driving efforts to qualify and access Global Environment Facility funding to establish the Jigme DorjiNational Park.

Jeffrey also serves as a Pro-Bono Director on two US-based foundations and for Copenhagen Compliance a firm promoting internet safety and security.

Previously, Jeffrey also worked for the Inter-American Foundation and for the Wall Street law firm of Clearly Gottlieb Steen and Hamilton, and specialized in the representation of highly indebted nations and the tailoring of debt conversion and debt swap vehicles. He has published books and articles on various development related topics throughout his career .