Decision No. 1072/QD-TTg dated July 05, 2011 of the Prime Minister approving the strategy for development of the lawyer profession through 2020

THE PRIME MINISTER APPROVES THE STRATEGY FOR THE LAWYER PROFESSION DEVELOPMENT THROUGH 2020

The Prime Minister issued the Decision No. 1072/QD-TTg dated July 05, 2011 of the Prime Minister approving the strategy for development of the lawyer profession through 2020 with a view to institutionalizing the Party's guidelines and policies on socio-economic development, building of a socialist law-governed state and judicial reforms.

Accordingly, By 2020, to have 18.000-20.000 lawyers practicing law in specialized legal fields: to raise quality of lawyers and law practice activities, and the position and role of lawyers in judicial proceedings, to step by step develop and expand the legal service market and create foundations for developing Vietnam's lawyer profession to regional and world levels.

By 2020, to develop around 12.000-20.000 lawyers, reaching the ratio of 1 lawyer to 4.500 people, increasingly meeting the needs for legal services of agencies, organizations, individuals and enterprises. Each locality with socio­economic difficulties will have between 30-50 lawyers for participation in 100% of criminal cases at the request of procedure-conducting agencies. The number of lawyers capable of providing consultancy and settling international trade disputes will be around 150.

Besides, it is necessary to increase retraining in professional operations, legal know ledge, professional skills, ethics and conduct, politics and ideology for lawyers; to adopt policies to attract professionally qualified lawyers with political and moral qualities for recruitment and appointment to judicial titles and other positions in state agencies;

To strive to have by 2020 around 30 law-practicing organizations with each having 50-100 lawyers and 100 lawyers or more specialized in foreign-involved investment, business and trade, including around 10 regionally and internationally known and prestigious ones. To have between 5-10 law-practicing organizations operating in localities with socio-economic difficulties.

It is known that over the recent lime, the contingent of Vietnamese lawyers has seen a fast development in quantity and quality and shown a higher professionalism in professional practice. At present, there are 62 bar associations in 63 provinces and cities nationwide with a total membership of over 6,250 lawyers and over 3.000 trainee lawyers who are working for nearly 2.750 law-practicing organizations, including around 10 specialized in foreign-involved business, trade and investment.

Regarding the participation in judicial proceedings, according to statistics of 6 years (2005-2010), Vietnamese lawyers had participated in over 85.000 criminal cases, 53,000 civil cases and matters, 3.500 economic cases and matters, 1.500 labor cases and matters and 2.800 administrative cases and mailers, assuring the adherence to the principle of oral argument at court hearings and importantly contributing to performing the central task of the judicial reform.