An officer from Đường Hoa Commune Police in Quảng Ninh Province raises awareness of the Law on Marriage and Family for ethnic community residents. — Photo courtesy of Đường Hoa Commune Police

Observed annually on November 9, Việt Nam Law Day seeks to promote respect for the Constitution and the law, raise public awareness of legal compliance and encourage people to make respect for regulations an integral part of everyday life. The Department of Law Dissemination and Education and Legal Aid under the Ministry of Justice wrote about this year’s activities, which place greater emphasis on practical, people-centred legal education and digital transformation.

Making respect for the law part of everyday life

November 9 is designated as Việt Nam Law Day under the 2026 Law on Law Dissemination and Education, which builds on the 2012 law while introducing additional requirements to foster a culture of respect for the law. The annual observance aims to honour the Constitution and law, raise public awareness of legal compliance and promote a culture of respect for the rule of law throughout society.

This year’s Việt Nam Law Day coincides with the 80th anniversary of the adoption of the first Constitution of the Democratic Republic of Việt Nam by the first National Assembly on November 9, 1946. The historic event laid the constitutional foundation for a law-governed State of the people, by the people and for the people.

Over the past eight decades, respect for the Constitution and the law has remained central to Việt Nam’s efforts to build and improve its socialist rule-of-law State.

The 13th Party Central Committee's Resolution 27-NQ/TW issued November 9, 2022, on continuing to build and improve the socialist law-ruled State of Việt Nam in the new era, and Politburo Resolution 66-NQ/TW issued April 30, 2025, on renewing lawmaking and law enforcement to meet national development requirements in the new era, both emphasise the need to improve law enforcement and foster a culture of legal compliance across society.

In this context, Việt Nam Law Day should encourage people to translate respect for regulations into everyday behaviour. Citizens need to understand the importance of complying with laws, protecting their legal rights and interests and respecting those of others, not merely out of obligation but as a matter of personal responsibility.

This principle is reflected in everyday activities, from observing traffic regulations and fulfilling civil and administrative obligations to behaving responsibly online, protecting the environment and actively learning about relevant laws before exercising their rights or performing their duties.

For public officials and employees, it also means fulfilling their obligations within their assigned powers and responsibilities, ensuring transparency and accountability, and assessing their performance based on the quality and effectiveness of services provided to citizens and businesses.

To make the spirit of Việt Nam Law Day part of everyday life, law dissemination and education must become a regular, ongoing responsibility of the entire political system, rather than being concentrated in occasional campaigns.

Legal information should address people’s practical concerns, including land, housing, employment, social insurance, marriage and family, public services, personal data protection and the prevention of violations in the digital environment. Such information must be clear and accessible, while law enforcement should be fair and transparent, with officials and leaders setting an example in complying with the rules.

The lasting value of Việt Nam Law Day should thus be measured by meaningful changes in people’s behaviour and compliance with legislation, rather than simply by the number of activities organised to mark the occasion.

Renewing Việt Nam Law Day activities for greater practical impact

To mark Việt Nam Law Day 2026, the Ministry of Justice is organising a range of activities aimed at renewing approaches to law dissemination and education, with greater emphasis on information technology and digital transformation.

Three major national activities are planned: the Việt Nam Law Day ceremony, an online contest on the Constitution and the law hosted on the National Law Portal, and the 2026 Programme to Select, Honour and Reward Outstanding Role Models in the Legal Field.

One of the highlights is the online contest, titled 'Understanding the Constitution and the Law', which has attracted more than 2.5 million entries over 45 days.

Open to everyone, the contest has encouraged citizens and businesses to learn about legislation, test their legal knowledge and actively seek legal information. Its online format has also made law education more accessible to schoolchildren, university students and young people, while promoting greater interaction online.

Another key activity is the 2026 programme to honour outstanding individuals and organisations in the legal field. The programme seeks to identify and recognise individuals and organisations whose initiatives and practices have contributed to lawmaking and law enforcement, while encouraging wider adoption of successful approaches.

Alongside these national activities, the Ministry of Justice is strengthening coordination with ministries, sectors and localities, while promoting the role of councils for coordination of law dissemination and education at all levels in organising activities tailored to different target groups. The approach has shifted from simply presenting legal documents to addressing practical legal issues through a combination of traditional media, digital communication, contests, legal counselling, legal aid, grassroots mediation and community-based initiatives.

The National Law Portal, in particular, serves as an important digital platform through which citizens and businesses can access timely, reliable legal information, helping limit the circulation of inaccurate legal content.

These activities are designed to move beyond ceremonial activities, encourage active public participation and help people apply legal knowledge in their daily lives, bringing the law closer to citizens and contributing to a stronger culture of legal compliance.

A legal awareness session conducted by Vạn Phú Commune Police for pupils at Lưu Nhân Chú High School in Thái Nguyên Province. —Photo congan.thainguyen.gov.vn

Putting people at the centre of law dissemination and education

Looking ahead, law dissemination and education must continue to be renewed in both content and delivery to better meet the needs of citizens and businesses.

As the unit in charge of advising and assisting the Minister of Justice in overseeing law dissemination and education, legal aid, grassroots mediation and assessment and recognition of localities that meet legal access standards, the Department of Law Dissemination and Education and Legal Aid has identified five key priorities.

First, the department will focus on improving legal institutions and policy frameworks and strengthening the implementation of regulations governing law dissemination and education, in line with Resolutions 27-NQ/TW and 66-NQ/TW.

A key priority is moving away from one-way information delivery towards more proactive, two-way communication, with the State creating favourable conditions for people to access legal information easily and according to their needs.

Legal education should focus on issues closely linked to socio-economic development, national policy priorities and matters of public concern. Meanwhile, communication about proposed policies should also take place before, during and after the drafting and finalisation of legal documents, enabling citizens and businesses to better understand their purpose and potential impacts. This would help build broader public consensus on their implementation.

Efforts will also focus on accelerating digital transformation and modernising approaches of access to legal information. This includes continued implementation of the 2025-30 Project on Digital Transformation in Law Dissemination and Education, approved by the Prime Minister under Decision 766/QĐ-TTg on April 15, 2025.

Attempts should also be made to connect official legal databases, develop easy-to-understand legal information materials and encourage greater public interaction, making it easier for people to understand and apply the law.

The use of artificial intelligence should also be explored to facilitate legal information searches, respond to legal inquiries and provide personalised information. However, such applications must be accompanied by appropriate oversight, verification mechanisms and data security safeguards.

Next, greater attention will be given to expanding law dissemination and education for vulnerable and disadvantaged groups and people living in disadvantaged areas. The 2026 Law on Law Dissemination and Education identifies specific groups requiring priority attention and provides a policy framework for ministries, agencies and local authorities to deliver timely and appropriate legal information. These efforts are intended to gradually narrow disparities in access to legal information among ethnic communities, people in remote and mountainous areas, persons with disabilities, people living in poverty and children.

Law dissemination and education programmes should also be adapted to the cultural backgrounds, languages, levels of understanding and practical circumstances of their target audiences. Meanwhile, digital tools should be used in the work of legal rapporteurs, legal communicators, lawyers, other legal professionals, respected community members, mediators and legal aid officers to expand outreach and improve effectiveness.

Another priority for the department is to strengthen inter-agency coordination and improve the professional capacity of personnel involved in law dissemination and education. This requires greater cooperation among ministries, sectors, local authorities, the Việt Nam Fatherland Front, socio-political organisations, education institutions, the media and communities.

At the same time, personnel involved in law dissemination and education should receive further training to strengthen their legal knowledge, communication skills and ability to use digital technologies.

Greater emphasis should be placed on integrating law dissemination and education with provision of legal aid, legal counselling and grassroots mediation to help protect people’s rights and interests, prevent legal violations and resolve disputes at the local level.

Finally, monitoring, inspection and evaluation will be improved, with greater emphasis on measurable results. Rather than focusing primarily on the number of activities organised, assessments should measure access to, understanding of and ability to apply legal information, as well as changes in their awareness and compliance with the law.

Surveys, public feedback and community oversight should also be strengthened to improve the quality of law dissemination and education as well as transparency and accountability.

As the country prepares to mark Việt Nam Law Day on November 9 and looks towards the years ahead, renewing law dissemination and education remains both an immediate priority and a long-term task.

With the leadership of the Party and the State, cooperation among authorities at all levels and active public participation, the ultimate objective is not merely to make legal information accessible, but to make respect for the law an integral part of people’s awareness, behaviour and everyday conduct.

Those efforts will help build a disciplined, democratic, equitable and civilised society and support the country’s sustainable development. — VNS