1. LEGAL AID IN VIETNAM Vu Thi Huong Deputy Director National Legal Aid Agency Vietnam. Bangkok, 18 th August 2016

2. Main contents 1. 1. Legal framework 2. 2. Legal aid system 3. 3. Achievements 4. 4. Challenges 5. 5. Developments (2015-2016)

3. LEGAL AID FRAMEWORK 1. 1. Decision 734/QD-TTg dated 6 th Seb. 1997. 2. 2. Law on Legal Aid 2006 and subordinate documents. 3. 3. Other laws relating to legal aid: Law on persons with disabilities 2010; Law on human trafficking 2011, ect. 4. 4. Decision 749/QD-TTg dated 1 st June 2015

4. Legal Aid System in Vietnam Established in 1997. Governmental-oriented system. The Government: performs uniform state management. Ministry of Justice (MOJ): takes responsibility before the Government for the performance of state management of legal aid. Provincial People's Committees (PPCs): perform the state management in localities. - Social organizations: Women’s Union, Farmers’ union, Veterans’ union, Youth’s union….

5. Legal aid System in Viet Nam NLAA ProvincialLevel PLACs (63) District Level CommuneLevel Centrallevel Branches of PLACs (202) Legal aid Clubs

6. National Legal Aid Agency (NLAA)   A body of the Ministry of Justice   Function: advise the Minister in state management; implement professional management on legal aid 6 Legal aid in Vietnam

7. Legal Aid Participating Organizations Organizations participating in legal aid Lawyers’ professional organizations Legal consultative organizations 7 Legal aid in Vietnam

8. Legal Aid Providers Legal aid officials (state employees in PLACs). Participating persons: - Collaborators of PLACs. - Lawyers. - Legal consultants working in legal consultative organizations. 8 Legal aid in Vietnam

9. Legal Aid Beneficiaries The Poor; People with meritorious service to the Revolution; Ethnic minorities people in especially difficult areas; Lonely elderly people Helpless children (under 16); Disabled people Victims of hunan trafficking; Other people under international treaties to which Vietnam is a party Poor Ethnic minority Children Domestic violence

10. Forms of Legal Aid Forms of Legal Aid legal advice representatives in proceedings representatives beyond proceedings other forms 10 Legal aid in Vietnam

11. Legal aid services can be provided in all legal matters (criminal, civil, labor, land, administrative, etc.) except for business and trade. Fields of Legal Aid

12. Achievements 1. 1. Legal aid policy: innovation 2. 2. Legal aid legislation: improvement 3. 3. Legal aid system: development and reform 4. 4. Cases and beneficiaries: increase and focus on court procedings. 5. 5. Funding: State budget includes local and central budget (about $4 million/year).

13. L egal aid cases and beneficiaries 2013-2015

14. Shortcomings of the 2006 Law on Legal Aid; Monitoring quality of legal aid services; Capacity of legal aid providers; Professional ethics of lawyers; Fund for legal aid. Current challenges

15. Vietnam has made great efforts to: - - revise the 2006 Law on Legal Aid; - - reform the legal aid system; - - implement national action programs on legal dissemination and education to raise awareness of people; - - strengthen international co-operation. Developments

16. Thank you! Thank you!