Cluster 1
Legal System
An overview of Vietnamese legal sources, from the Constitution to laws, codes, decrees and circulars. For reference only; please verify against official sources in Vietnam.
Circulars — ministerial implementation guidance
How circulars translate statutes and decrees into operational rules, their limits, and issuing authority.
Civil law vs. common law — where Vietnam stands
Why Vietnam follows the civil-law tradition, and recent intersections with common-law practices.
The 2013 Constitution — Vietnam's foundational law
Role, structure, and foundational principles of Vietnam's 2013 Constitution — the supreme source of law.
Decrees — the government's executive instrument
What decrees are, when they are issued, and the scope of their force in enforcing statute.
How to find and read Vietnamese legal texts
Authoritative sources, the anatomy of a normative document, and common reading pitfalls.
Laws vs. codes — the legal-instrument hierarchy
Distinguishing statutes from codes, the role of the National Assembly, and how the hierarchy resolves conflicts.
Vietnam's legislative process
From proposal to passage of a statute: the bodies involved, the sequence of readings, and typical timelines.
National Assembly resolutions
How resolutions differ from statutes, their role in policy, and cases where they carry statutory force.
The Communist Party's role in the legal system
How the Communist Party shapes legal policy and the relationship between party platforms and state instruments.
Overview of Vietnam's legal system
A structured view of Vietnam's legal architecture: the Constitution, statutes, subordinate instruments, and how they operate together.