Teenagers between 14 and 16 will bear criminal liability for very serious crimes under amendments and supplements to the 2015 Penal Code adopted by the parliament yesterday. — VNA/VNS Photo An Đăng

HÀ NỘI – Teenagers between 14 and 16 will bear criminal liability for very serious crimes under amendments and supplements to the 2015 Penal Code adopted by the parliament yesterday.

The National Assembly approved amendments and supplements to some articles of the 2015 Penal Code with 434 deputies, or 88.39 per cent, voting yes.

Under the amended law, persons aged 14 to 16 will have to bear penal liability for very serious crimes or extremely serious crimes of intentionally inflicting injury or causing harm to the health of other persons, rape and kidnapping in order to appropriate property.

People in this age group will not be charged with criminal liability for less serious or serious crimes related to the three charges.

The law also narrows down the scale for penal liability for non-denunciation of crimes. Specifically, the grandfather, grandmother, father, mother, offspring, grandchild, sibling, wife or husband of an offender will not bear penal liability for failing to denounce the offenders’ crimes, excepting for those related to national security or extremely serious crimes.

The law has a new article on violations of regulations by multi-level businesses, fixing the highest penalty at VNĐ5 billion or five years in prison.

With 89.41 percent of votes, the parliament also approved a resolution saying that the enforcement of the amended 2015 Penal Code, the Criminal Procedure Code, the Law on Organisation of Criminal Investigation Agency, and Laws on Custody and Temporary Detention, will start from January 1, 2018.

Meanwhile, the dates mentioned in regulations stated in the NA Resolution 110/2015/QH13 on November 27, 2017 on the implementation of the 2015 Penal Code, will be changed from “July 1, 2016” to “January 1, 2018”, and “January 1, 2019” to “January 1, 2020”.

State compensation, legal aid

Also yesterday, deputies approved the revised laws on State compensation liability and Legal Aid with 92.46 percent of the vote.

The revised draft Law on State Compensation comprises nine chapters and 78 articles, stipulating the State’s liability to compensate individuals and organisations suffering damage caused by officials on duty.

It defines rights and obligations of sufferers, compensation-liable agencies, procedures to settle compensation claims, and responsibilities of State-run agencies in the field.

The revised Law on Legal Aid received 93.28 per cent of yes votes. It comprises eight chapters and 51 articles, stipulating those who are subject to legal assistance, legal aid activities, and responsibilities of agencies, organisations and individuals in the sphere.

It states that legal aid is the provision of free legal services for eligible people, contributing to ensuring human and citizen rights in access to justice and equality.

Some lawmakers proposed reviewing regulations on children, people with disability, and victims of human trafficking, as well as supplementing some subjects to the group of those receiving legal aid, like people living on or under the poverty line, those completing prison sentences, and overseas Vietnamese.

Head of the NA Committee for Legal Affairs, Nguyễn Khắc Định, said the scope of people receiving legal assistance in the draft law increased to 14 groups from the previous seven.

The NA Standing Committee asked the legislature to continue expanding legal assistance for all children and ethnic minority people living in particularly disadvantaged areas. – VNS