National Assembly Chairman Trần Thanh Mẫn at the 48th session of the National Assembly Standing Committee, which discussed the draft revised Law on Execution of Criminal Judgments on Tuesday. VNA/VNS Photo Doãn Tấn

HÀ NỘI — Revising the Law on Execution of Criminal Judgments is extremely urgent, according to National Assembly (NA) Chairman Trần Thanh Mẫn.

Mẫn made this statement on Tuesday at the 48th session of the NA Standing Committee, which discussed the draft revised Law on Execution of Criminal Judgments.

The NA chairman said that the revision was necessary to implement the Politburo's Resolution 66-NQ/TW, issued on April 30, reforming the creation and enforcement of laws to meet the country’s development needs in the new era.

He also said that if thoroughly prepared, the draft could be submitted for passage at a single session.

Focusing on the issue of electronic monitoring, the top legislator said clear provisions should be introduced for offenders on suspended sentences or those granted conditional early release.

This would determine funding sources and clarify responsibility for managing monitoring equipment.

Mẫn urged that the draft clearly outline procedures for coordination between enforcement agencies as well as the process of converting death sentences to life imprisonment, in line with the 2025 amended Penal Code recently approved at the NA's ninth session.

Given that the law directly concerns people’s lives, he stressed the need for meticulous drafting of every clause, article and chapter.

“We must carefully review it to ensure compatibility, coherence and consistency with other laws, avoiding overlap, duplication or omission,” he said.

The Ministry of Public Security must work ‘day and night’ to produce a quality draft to present at the tenth session of the NA.

At the session, Chairman of the NA Committee for Legal and Judicial Affairs Hoàng Thanh Tùng presented a preliminary verification report, noting that the draft law dossier had been thoroughly and seriously prepared, meeting the required components for the NA Standing Committee to consider.

The committee agreed with the Government’s proposal, outlined in Report 618/BC-CP, to submit the draft law to the NA for passage in a single session, and recommended that the Government make its position on this approach explicit in the official submission.

According to Tùng the draft closely follows and institutionalises the Party’s policies and guidelines.

Its provisions are largely consistent with the legal system and align with relevant international treaties to which Việt Nam is a party.

However, given the comprehensive scope of the amendments and the tight timeline, the committee called on the Government to finalise the dossier carefully, consult on policy adjustments and ensure the draft’s quality and readiness for single-session adoption.

Vice Chairwoman of the NA Committee for People’s Ombudsman and Supervision Lê Thị Nga also urged a thorough review to maintain consistency within the legal system, particularly in the field of justice.

While agreeing to expand the responsibilities and powers of commune-level People’s Committees and police as included in the draft, Nga stressed the need to clearly distinguish which duties belong to each.

At the end of the discussion, NA Vice Chairman Nguyễn Khắc Định said that the NA Standing Committee had agreed to submit the draft revised law for single-session consideration at the tenth session.

He also called for continued review to ensure legal consistency and compliance with relevant international treaties, while clarifying the roles and powers of agencies managing criminal judgment enforcement.

According to a previous presentation of the Government’s submission by Deputy Minister of Public Security Lê Quốc Hùng, the draft law comprises 15 chapters and 172 articles.

Proposed amendments include expanding the duties and powers of commune-level People’s Committees and police.

Under the draft, commune-level People’s Committees will manage, supervise and educate individuals serving suspended sentences, non-custodial reform, residence bans, bans on holding certain positions or practising certain professions, deprivation of certain civic rights, those granted deferral or temporary suspension of prison sentences, conditional early release and those serving probationary measures.

Commune-level police chiefs will advise and directly assist the People’s Committees in managing, supervising and educating the same categories of offenders and supervisees.— VNS