Policy Consultation Seminar “Improving the Structure of Vietnam’s Legal System: Theoretical and Practical Issues”

On the morning of September 17, 2025, at Hall 703, E1 Building, VNU University of Law, Vietnam National University, Hanoi (VNU), in coordination with the Institute of Legal Strategy and Science (Ministry of Justice), organized the policy consultation workshop “Improving the Structure of Vietnam’s Legal System: Theoretical and Practical Issues.” The workshop was primarily organized to exchange, discuss, and provide comments on the Ministry of Justice’s Scheme “Improving the Structure of Vietnam’s Legal System to Meet the Requirements of National Development in the New Era.” This was an opportunity for experts, scholars, and policymakers to analyze, provide critical feedback, and make recommendations to improve the content of the Scheme, ensuring its feasibility, scientific soundness, and conformity with practical realities. The comments and recommendations made at the workshop will serve as an important basis for the drafting team to further revise and finalize the Scheme.

The workshop was attended by numerous leading experts, scholars, and policymakers in the field of law. Representing VNU University of Law were: Assoc. Prof. Dr. Nguyễn Trọng Điệp (Secretary of the Party Committee, Chairman of the University Council); Assoc. Prof. Dr. Trịnh Tiến Việt (Acting Rector); Prof. Dr. Nguyễn Bá Diến; Assoc. Prof. Dr. Ngô Huy Cương; Assoc. Prof. Dr. Nguyễn Minh Tuấn; Assoc. Prof. Dr. Bùi Tiến Đạt; Assoc. Prof. Dr. Mai Văn Thắng, … Representing the Institute of Legal Strategy and Science were: Dr. Nguyễn Văn Cương (Director); Dr. Chu Thị Hoa (Deputy Director); Dr. Lê Thị Thiều Hoa (Deputy Director), … together with numerous lecturers and students of VNU University of Law.

Opening Remarks

In his opening remarks, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Trịnh Tiến Việt – Acting Rector – emphasized that studying the structure of Vietnam’s legal system in the new context is not only of academic value but also of profound practical significance. This provides a basis for continuing comprehensive reform and meeting the requirements of building a socialist rule-of-law State in an era of integration and globalization.

Dr. Nguyễn Văn Cương – Director of the Institute of Legal Strategy and Science, Ministry of Justice – in his remarks, reviewed the outstanding achievements of Vietnam’s legal system over nearly 80 years of development and construction. He stated that, to date, Vietnam has approximately 213 laws currently in force (276 documents if amended and supplemented documents are also included), forming a relatively comprehensive legal system. This is the result of the persistent and continuous efforts of lawmakers, researchers, experts, and law enforcement agencies across generations. However, according to him, there remains considerable room for further improvement of the legal system. International experience and domestic practice demonstrate that improving the structure of the legal system needs to be carried out in a scientific and well-oriented manner, ensuring that the legal system is not only comprehensive and coherent but also streamlined, transparent, feasible, accessible, and aligned with the country’s development requirements in the coming period.

Content and Discussions

The workshop program consisted of two main discussion sessions:

Session 1 focused on several theoretical issues and requirements for improving the structure of Vietnam’s legal system in the new context. The presentations provided in-depth analysis of theoretical foundations and theories of legal systems, as well as suggestions for shaping the structure of the national legal system.

Session 2 discussed practical issues concerning the improvement of the structure of Vietnam’s legal system in several specific fields and international experience. The academic reports and discussions in this session provided diverse practical perspectives, ranging from criminal law, civil law, and international law to administrative law, thereby identifying both achievements and areas requiring further reform and improvement.

Significance and Expectations

At the conclusion of the workshop, the delegates agreed that the development and improvement of Vietnam’s legal system in the coming period must meet the criteria of being streamlined, coherent, transparent, stable, and accessible; at the same time, it must be closely aligned with the requirements of rapid and sustainable national development in a period of deep international integration and the Fourth Industrial Revolution. The workshop also made an important contribution to preparing the theoretical and practical foundations for developing a strategy to improve Vietnam’s legal system in the new era, thereby affirming the role of VNU University of Law and the Institute of Legal Strategy and Science in accompanying the Party, the State, and society as a whole in the process of building and improving a modern Vietnamese legal system.