# Laws on Happiness: The Legal System and Legislation of Bhutan

The idea of “gross national happiness” as a guiding principle for government reaches back for centuries in Bhutan. The legal code of Bhutan states, “The purpose of the government is to provide happiness to its people. If we cannot provide happiness, there is no reason for the government to exist.” Ugyen Thinley from the Jigme Singye Wangchuck School of Law in Bhutan discusses how this statement is implemented in Bhutanese legislation. He reviews the history of reflecting happiness in the nation’s laws and overview of the current legal system and legal resources.

- Kind: Talk
- Year: 2024
- Runtime: 52 min
- By: Thinley, Ugyen
- Archive: [Library of Congress](https://www.loc.gov/item/video-10082/)
- Licence or status: Rights statement at the Library of Congress (as the archive states it)
- Credit: Library of Congress
- Who can watch: Tweens profiles and older (the archive gives no rating; placed by Invisible Network from its collection and subjects)

[Watch now](https://invisiblenetwork.ai/watch/archive/loc/video-10082?play=1)