National Assembly President Trần Thanh Mẫn chairs a group discussion on the draft Law on Legal Normative Documents and the implementation of Resolution 206 on Friday. — VNA/VNS Photo

HÀ NỘI — National Assembly (NA) President Trần Thanh Mẫn has stressed that special and emergency lawmaking mechanisms must remain exceptional, warning against allowing them to undermine the legal system’s discipline and stability.

The top legislator made the remarks during a group discussion on the draft Law on Legal Normative Documents and the implementation of Resolution 206 on special mechanisms for addressing difficulties and obstacles arising from legal regulations during the 16th legislature’s second session on October 23.

He described Resolution 206 as unprecedented, saying it has opened a 'fast track' for the Government to resolve bottlenecks that would otherwise take considerable time through normal procedures.

According to a Government report, the mechanism has enabled the adoption of 26 resolutions over the past year, while 556 of 786 reported problems and recommendations had been addressed.

Five resolutions issued in 2026 under the mechanism to cut and simplify administrative procedures and business conditions had reduced processing time by 53 per cent and compliance costs by 55 per cent, saving citizens and businesses an estimated VNĐ23 trillion (over US$890 million) annually.

While welcoming the results, the top legislator supported extending the validity of documents issued under the mechanism once, until December 31, 2027, to prevent legal gaps. He said the Government must regularly report progress to the NA Standing Committee and remain accountable, with extensions intended to ensure completion rather than delay action.

He also called for reform results to be measured by actual time and cost savings for citizens and businesses, as well as their satisfaction, rather than simply counting the number of procedures cut or resolutions adopted. Provisions that had not been tested long enough should not be hastily incorporated into law.

Regarding the draft Law on Legal Normative Documents, NA President Mẫn said it is a foundational law that determines the quality of the legal system. He supported streamlining procedures but warned against sacrificing quality for speed, stressing the need to retain policy appraisal, impact assessment and expert consultation where necessary.

Any mechanism allowing the NA Standing Committee or the Government to issue documents modifying legal provisions must be tightly regulated and consistent with the Constitution, he noted.

The NA President urged the Government to work closely with the reviewing agency, fully incorporate lawmakers’ opinions, and finalise the draft to improve the quality of lawmaking, ensure consistency across the legal system, and enhance practical implementation.

Addressing the proposed mechanism allowing the NA Standing Committee and the Government to adjust legal provisions in urgent circumstances when the legislature could not convene, Minister of Justice Hoàng Thanh Tùng said it constituted special, temporary legislative delegation.

It would apply only under specific conditions to address emergencies, after which the relevant laws must be amended to ensure proper legal codification. He agreed that eligibility conditions and oversight mechanisms must be strictly regulated and said the drafting body would study deputies’ recommendations to further refine the provisions.

Deputy Lê Thị Thanh Lam from Cần Thơ City said the draft made progress in streamlining legal documents, reforming lawmaking procedures and strengthening implementation responsibilities. She welcomed provisions on evaluating implementation effectiveness and policy responses, while urging the Ministry of Justice to issue criteria for assessing legal documents after promulgation.

She also called for clear sanctions against heads of agencies that delay issuing detailed implementing regulations or promulgate unlawful documents causing losses to the State, citizens and businesses. — VNA/VNS