The National Assembly Standing Committee focused on how to streamline the issuing of legal documents when it met on January 24. The effort was part of the committee’s fifth session during which the laws governing the issuance of legal documents, the procedures to buy an individual’s or an organisation’s property; management and use of State property and the activities of the Red Cross were discussed. The committee agreed that simplification of the issuing of legal documents was at the heart of the changes needed.

Legal Committee Nguyen Van Thuan, Chairman and Deputy Justice Minister Hoang The Lien said that Viet Nam had more than 20 sources for legal documents.These were issued by a variety of institutions and their implementation was difficult. Both suggested that a Government resolution; a prime ministerial directive, or decisions and directives issued by the chief judge of the People’s Supreme Court, the People’s Supreme Procuracy and ministers, should not be considered legal documents. Such documents should be deemed circulars, they argued.
Finance and Budget Committee chairman Phung Quoc Hien said he was worried about how to deal with the legal documents now in existence.“I agree on the need to simplify the entire legal system,” he said. “But it must not affect the Government’s management.” Assembly ombudsman Tran The Vuong said the quality of legal documents; their duplication and inconsistency was the major problem. “It is important that the law be used to improve the procedures for the promulgation of laws and highlight the role of the National Assembly Legal Committee and the Law Building Committee of the Government Office,” he said. Social Affairs Committee chairman Truong Thi Mai emphasised the need to simplify the process. “The validity of legal documents can not be in force when the new law takes effect,” she said.

Economists chairman Ha Van Hien argued that the new law could not be confined to documents issued by the legislature, the executive and the executive. Assembly chairman Nguyen Phu Trong said the purpose of revising the law was to eliminate the inconsistency between legal documents.This would enable parliament to shorten their plenary meetings and pass laws of high quality.
He asked that the National Council, its committees and law-making agencies to abide by the principles of concentration and democracy while raining the responsibility of each individual and collective to obtain this objective.

VNA