National Assembly (NA) Chairman Trần Thanh Mẫn addressed a meeting with standing members of the NA Committee on Legal and Judicial Affairs on May 21 in Hà Nội. — VNA/VNS Photo

HÀ NỘI — National Assembly (NA) Chairman Trần Thanh Mẫn on Thursday chaired a working session with standing members of the NA Committee on Legal and Judicial Affairs regarding key tasks for 2026 and the entire 2026–31 tenure.

Emphasising that tasks in 2026 and throughout the 16th-tenure legislature would be heavier, more complex and subject to higher requirements, the top legislator said the committee must take the lead in legal thinking, uphold high legislative drafting standards, sharpen policy appraisal work, strengthen oversight of law enforcement, and proactively contribute to building institutions for development.

He urged the committee to effectively implement the Resolution of the 14th National Party Congress and the Resolution of the first congress of the NA committee’s Party Organisation for the 2025–30 term.

The leader also stressed the need to shift from a management-oriented mindset to one focused on development facilitation, and from “making laws for easier management” to “making laws so the country can develop, people and businesses can feel secure, and the state apparatus can operate effectively”.

The NA Chairman underscored the importance of prioritising policy quality and strengthening discipline and order in legislative activities.

Regarding oversight work, he called for reforms aimed at creating substantive changes.

In the areas of judicial affairs and the fight against corruption, wastefulness and negative practices, he stressed that the committee should not merely rely on reports and figures submitted by agencies, but instead identify longstanding issues that have generated public concern and been repeatedly raised by the legislature in order to conduct thorough supervision and field surveys.

Chairman Mẫn also noted that the committee must lead efforts in digital transformation to support legislative work, supervision activities and administrative processing, while promptly addressing organisational, personnel and operational challenges and focusing on its core tasks of research, appraisal, oversight and legal policy consultation.

According to reports presented at the meeting, in 2025 the committee appraised 29 out of 89 laws passed by the NA, accounting for more than 30 per cent of the legislature’s lawmaking workload. At the first session of the 16th legislature, the committee continued to appraise five out of nine draft laws and one out of five legal resolutions, while ensuring the constitutionality, legality and consistency of legal documents submitted to the NA and its Standing Committee.

The committee has also advised on several strategic tasks, including the legislative orientation scheme for the 16th NA term; implementation of Politburo Conclusion No. 17-KL/TW on legislative orientation; implementation of Resolution No. 66-NQ/TW on reforming lawmaking and law enforcement to meet development requirements in the new era; a comprehensive review of legal normative documents; and tasks relating to anti-corruption efforts, judicial reform and the organisation of a two-tier local administration system. — VNA/VNS