The National Assembly discussed the draft Law amending and supplementing a number of articles of the Penal Code.

During the plenary session in the hall, the National Assembly watched a video presentation of documents related to the amendment and supplementation of a number of articles of the Penal Code.

Next, the National Assembly discussed in the hall the draft Law amending and supplementing a number of articles of the Penal Code. The Minister of Public Security spoke to explain and clarify a number of issues raised by National Assembly deputies.

Previously, at the meeting on the morning of May 20, Minister of Public Security Luong Tam Quang presented the Draft Penal Code (amended).

The revised Penal Code project aims to continue institutionalizing the Party's guidelines, policies and strategies on crime prevention and control in the context of building and perfecting the socialist rule-of-law state of Vietnam in the new period.

The project ensures international integration, ensuring both humanity and leniency as well as deterrence and severity, effectively contributing to protecting the regime, protecting human rights, protecting the interests of the State and organizations, contributing to protecting social order and safety, promoting the development of a socialist-oriented market economy, ensuring that everyone lives in a safe and healthy social environment.

Regarding the amendments related to the death penalty, the draft Law is expected to abolish the death penalty and replace it with life imprisonment without parole (still ensuring the isolation of criminals from social life) for 8/18 crimes (44.44%) with the death penalty in the current Penal Code.

Eight crimes with the death penalty in the current Penal Code are expected to have the death penalty removed and be replaced with life imprisonment without parole, including: Crime of activities aimed at overthrowing the people's government (Article 109); Crime of sabotaging the material and technical facilities of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam (Article 114); Crime of manufacturing and trading in counterfeit medicines and preventive medicines (Article 194); Crime of undermining peace and waging aggressive wars (Article 421); Crime of espionage (Article 110); Crime of illegal transportation of narcotics (Article 250), Crime of embezzlement of property (Article 353), Crime of bribery (Article 354).

At the same time, add cases where the death penalty is not carried out for people with terminal cancer, people infected with HIV who have progressed to AIDS, and people with opportunistic infections.

Increase the level of imprisonment and fines for some crimes to ensure deterrence, improve the effectiveness of the fight against crime, promptly protect the legitimate rights and interests of the State and citizens, in accordance with international law, such as environmental crimes, production and trade of counterfeit and fake goods such as food, food additives, medicines, preventive medicines, and drugs.

At the meeting, Deputy Prime Minister Le Thanh Long spoke to explain and clarify a number of issues raised by National Assembly deputies.

In the afternoon of the same day, the National Assembly will hear presentations and reports on the examination of the following projects: Law on State of Emergency; Law on Railways (amended); Law on amending and supplementing a number of articles of the Criminal Procedure Code.