General Secretary To Lam: The work of perfecting legal institutions must pave the way for development creation
On the morning of June 5, at the Party Central Committee Headquarters, the Central Steering Committee on Institutional and Legal Improvement (Steering Committee) held its first meeting. General Secretary To Lam, Head of the Steering Committee, chaired the meeting.
Attending the meeting were comrade Tran Thanh Man, Politburo member, Chairman of the National Assembly, Deputy Head of the Steering Committee; comrades Politburo members, Party Central Committee Secretaries, Party Central Committee members who are members of the Steering Committee.
The meeting reviewed and commented on: Draft Working Regulations of the Steering Committee; Draft Notice of assignment of tasks to members of the Steering Committee; Draft Work Program for 2025 of the Steering Committee; Report on the situation of collecting public opinions on amendments and supplements to the 2013 Constitution; Report on the situation and results of perfecting the law on decentralization, delegation of power, and assignment of authority according to the motto "locality decides, locality does, locality is responsible"; Draft Plan to direct the review and removal of "bottlenecks" caused by legal regulations.
In his concluding remarks at the meeting, General Secretary To Lam, Head of the Steering Committee, stated that the guiding principle in the operation of the Steering Committee needs to select key issues, key core contents of Resolution No. 66-NQ/TW dated April 30, 2025 of the Politburo on innovation in law-making and enforcement to meet the requirements of national development in the new era to direct and create breakthroughs of a pervasive nature to carry out other tasks; prioritize solving urgent issues, especially focusing on leading and directing the successful implementation of the 2025 goals; basically completing the removal of bottlenecks due to legal regulations. Thereby, the work of perfecting legal institutions must pave the way for development creation, mobilizing all people and businesses to participate in economic, social and national development.
The General Secretary emphasized the need to promote the individual role of each member of the Steering Committee and take advantage of the comments of leading, experienced experts, dedicated lawyers, people, and the business community to ensure that solutions to improve the legal system are practical and highly scientific. Expert advice can be sought from experts. Specific issues must be focused on and not wait for each other. The Steering Committee and its members need to focus on substantive actions, avoid formalities, and coordinate closely to ensure consistency in direction and implementation; avoid the situation where the resolution is very good but difficult to resolve in specific situations; absolutely avoid the situation of "saying is not consistent with doing", showing "your rights, my rights" or bringing personal interests into the work; clearly state that the Steering Committee does not work on behalf of the authorities.
The General Secretary requested that the implementation must be drastic, urgent and the results must be measurable. Each task must be assigned specifically with individual responsibility and the presiding agency, ensuring transparency and clarity. The tasks need to have measurement indicators based on data over time to monitor progress and evaluate the implementation effectiveness in a scientific manner.
The General Secretary proposed to continue to lead and direct the amendment and supplementation of the 2013 Constitution, ensuring progress according to the set plan, creating a solid legal basis for the implementation of policies on restructuring the apparatus and administrative units; reviewing and proposing to remove "bottlenecks" due to legal regulations. In each remaining quarter of 2025, members of the Steering Committee must identify specific tasks to urge, promote and focus on leading and directing the implementation of tasks according to the Steering Committee's Work Program and Plan.
Regarding some general requirements in directing the implementation of Resolution No. 66-NQ/TW dated April 30, 2025 of the Politburo on innovation in law-making and law enforcement to meet the requirements of national development in the new era, the General Secretary directed that Party committees at all levels must comprehensively and directly lead the institutionalization of the Party's policies and guidelines into laws and strengthen inspection and supervision of this work. Heads of ministries and ministerial-level agencies must directly lead and direct the law-making work and take primary responsibility for the quality of policies and laws in the management areas of their ministries and sectors. Each cadre and Party member must be exemplary and take the lead in implementing and complying with the law, spreading the spirit of respect for the Constitution and the law, identifying the building of legal institutions and the inspection and supervision of law enforcement as a key, continuous and regular task.
The General Secretary pointed out that it is necessary to focus on reviewing and removing "bottlenecks" caused by legal regulations, especially those that are contradictory, overlapping, unreasonable, unfeasible, unclear, and create different interpretations in the legal system. By 2025, it is necessary to fundamentally remove "bottlenecks" caused by legal regulations, with priority given to the fields of finance, investment, science, technology, innovation, and digital transformation. In addition, it is necessary to fundamentally innovate the thinking of law-making: shifting from "management" to "development creation" thinking, from "passive to proactive". Laws contribute to awakening all potentials and strengths of the country, seizing all development opportunities.
The General Secretary noted that it is necessary to improve the effectiveness and efficiency of law enforcement; build a culture of law compliance, tighten discipline and order in law enforcement organizations; eliminate the situation of "hot above, cold below" issuing and then leaving it there, "beating the drum and abandoning the stick" in law enforcement organizations; improve the capacity and responsibility of the legal staff; build a team of dedicated, courageous, practical-minded staff with a reform mindset and a spirit of serving the Fatherland and the people, sensitive to the development trends of the times; promote the application of science and technology, especially artificial intelligence in the work of building and enforcing laws; accelerate the process of building a large database on laws, connecting with the National Data Center in a direction that is easy to access, convenient to exploit and use.
Promoting the role of the Party's supervision and inspection and the supervision and social criticism of the Vietnam Fatherland Front, political and social organizations, people and the business community in implementing Resolution No. 66-NQ/TW. "There is nothing more practical than listening to the people, businesses and those directly affected by the law to identify problems and inadequacies in order to improve the law and bring the legal system to meet the requirements of practical life," the General Secretary emphasized.
The General Secretary emphasized that building and perfecting institutions and laws is a process full of intelligence, effort and dedication. To be successful, it requires the participation of the entire political system and the consensus of the whole society. The Steering Committee not only plays an orientation role but must also take drastic actions to create real change. This is a great task but also an opportunity to bring the country into a new stage of development based on a high-quality legal institution.
At the meeting, the Steering Committee unanimously approved: Draft Working Regulations of the Steering Committee; Draft Notice on assignment of tasks to members of the Steering Committee; Draft Work Program for 2025; Draft Plan to direct the review and propose solutions to remove "bottlenecks" due to legal regulations. The Steering Committee requested the Party Committee of the Ministry of Justice (Standing Body of the Steering Committee) to promptly receive the conclusions of the Head of the Steering Committee and comments of the members of the Steering Committee, revise the drafts and submit them to the Head of the Steering Committee for signature and promulgation.
