Prime Minister Phạm Minh Chính presents the First-class Labour Order to the Ministry of Justice. — VNA/VNS Photo Dương Giang

HÀ NỘI — Prime Minister Phạm Minh Chính has called on the Ministry of Justice and the wider justice sector to transform lawmaking and enforcement into key drivers of Việt Nam’s competitiveness, urging reforms to turn long-standing legal bottlenecks into breakthroughs.

Speaking at a ceremony in Hà Nội yesterday, commemorating the 80th anniversary of the justice sector (28 August 1945 – 28 August 2025) and the 6th Patriotic Emulation Congress, the Prime Minister highlighted the vital role the sector has played in shaping the country’s legal foundation.

Since its establishment in 1945, the Ministry of Justice and the justice sector have been central to building Việt Nam’s legal system — drafting the first Constitution in 1946 and successive versions in 1959, 1992 and 2013, and overseeing landmark legislation such as the Civil Code, Penal Code and Law on Civil Judgment Enforcement. The sector has ensured that the legal framework evolves in step with the nation’s rapid growth.

Việt Nam’s justice sector has also strengthened international legal cooperation, promoted public legal awareness and developed a professional civil judgment enforcement system that increasingly embraces digital transformation. For these achievements, it has received some of the country’s highest honours, including the Hồ Chí Minh Order and the Gold Star Order.

In his address, PM Chính emphasised that institutions and laws must now go beyond safeguards to become strategic assets that fuel national development. He called for a shift in focus from persistent legal bottlenecks towards areas offering real breakthroughs, enabling the legal system to become a genuine competitive advantage for Việt Nam.

He reflected on Việt Nam’s rich legal heritage — from the Hồng Đức Code of the Lê Dynasty in the 15th century to President Hồ Chí Minh’s early 20th-century advocacy for constitutionalism — praising the Ministry of Justice as the Government’s 'legal gatekeeper,' responsible for appraising all draft laws and ordinances before they reach the National Assembly.

In recent years, the justice sector played a pivotal role in removing legal obstacles, delivering urgent policy responses during the COVID-19 pandemic, and contributing to the passage of 90 laws, resolutions and ordinances, as well as 30 decrees on decentralisation and delegation of authority.

The Prime Minister outlined five guiding principles for the sector: institutions must serve as both goals and drivers of development; lead the way in modernisation and integration; shift lawmaking from bottlenecks to breakthroughs; view investment in lawmaking as investment in development; and help unlock national resources for growth.

He also identified five priority tasks: accelerating the drafting of laws, resolving practical legal obstacles, reviewing and codifying legislation, promoting decentralisation and expanding legal education.

Acknowledging the demanding nature of these tasks, PM Chính stressed their importance and set a target for the justice sector to fundamentally resolve legal bottlenecks hindering development by 2025.

He urged the sector to build a professional, impartial workforce that embodies integrity, selflessness, and devotion to the people — values taught by President Hồ Chí Minh — while advancing administrative reforms to cut unnecessary procedures, reduce compliance costs for citizens and businesses and strengthen oversight to prevent corruption and abuse of power.

The Prime Minister said the justice sector must exemplify transparent institutions, seamless infrastructure and smart governance.

At the event, the Ministry of Justice was awarded the First-class Labour Order, with several ministry leaders receiving the Third-class Labour Order for their outstanding contributions. — VNS