The Central Steering Committee on Judicial Reforms met on October 19 to discuss a number of newly-arising judicial issues.
Some related to forming new legal bodies and revamping existing ones with the authority to resolve civil, administrative, economic and labor disputes.
Others related to setting up a constitutional court, reforming the procuracy, reorganizing the investigative bodies and setting up a national committee for legal reforms and studies for revising the 1992 Constitution.
Regarding the organizational model of courts, most participants agreed that courts should be organized in the principles of two-level trial and independent trial.
Regarding whether or not a constitutional court should be set up, State President Tran Duc Luong, who was also chairman of the Steering Committee, said since it is an important issue related to the political particularities of Vietnam, the setting up of the constitutional court as well as the definition of its tasks and powers should be further studied and discussed.
As for the organization of investigative bodies, the Public Security Ministry’s representative suggested that these bodies should be kept unchanged according to the newly promulgated Ordinance on Criminal Investigation.
The State President, however, stressed the need to thoroughly study the reorganization of investigation bodies along the direction of streamlining and unifying the direction over investigation activities; clearly identifying and closely combining reconnaissance with investigation activities according to a specific roadmap at the same time with the perfection of the functions, tasks and organization of procuracies and courts.
Participants agreed to study the formulation of regulations on bailiffs. They also agreed that the National Assembly should set up a new committee in charge of overseeing the judicial offices’ activities, especially arrest, detention, prosecution and trial.-