Chief Justice of the Supreme People’s Court Nguyễn Hòa Bình (centre) attends the 7th meeting of the the Council of ASEAN Chief Justices in Phuket, Thailand on Friday. VNA/VNS Photo

BANGKOK – The Council of ASEAN Chief Justices (CACJ) convened its 7th meeting in Phuket, Thailand, on Friday under the chair of President of the Thai Supreme Court Slaikate Wattanapan.

The Vietnamese delegation to the event was led by Chief Justice of the Supreme People’s Court Nguyễn Hòa Bình.

At the meeting, the chief justices from the 10 member nations recognised the progress in the coordination within the ASEAN framework, noting that the member courts have actively updated their countries’ legal and judicial information on the ASEAN Judiciaries Portal, thereby meeting the demand for information about judicial and legal systems of the bloc.

They discussed technology application in the court sector so as to meet new requirements, decided to consider this issue more thoroughly, and also noted that this is a challenge for the regional court sector in the years to come.

The chief justices also looked into the serving of foreign courts’ summons and the recognition and permission of the enforcement of foreign judgments, judicial education and training, and children-related disputes among countries.

Regarding the CACJ’s external relations, its working group proposed establishing an ASEAN Plus Three group that includes China, the Republic of Korea and Japan, considering this issue a top priority. Groups that gather ASEAN and other partners were also suggested with the most likely ones being European nations and the US.

In his speech, Bình said since the CACJ was officially recognised as an entity of ASEAN connectivity, cooperation among courts within the council’s framework has become increasingly vibrant and effective. Given this, the ASEAN governments have been showing their support for multilateral judicial cooperation activities within this framework, as well as bilateral cooperation between member courts.

Courts of ASEAN countries have found a right direction, and the CACJ is greatly contributing to the solidarity, mutual understanding, cooperation and sharing in the ASEAN Community, he said.

Bình said the CACJ now has more and more ideas and activities, illustrating the member nations’ demand for judicial and legal integration. The council has also been making unceasing efforts to affirm its centrality in the judicial and legal integration process of the bloc.

He added that the Supreme People’s Court of Vietnam is a CACJ member that is always ready to make more contributions and efforts, with the highest sense of responsibility and goodwill, for the common success of the council and for a cohesive, rules-based, people-oriented and people-centred ASEAN Community.

At the meeting, participants approved some new initiatives and welcomed Việt Nam’s hosting of the 8th meeting of the CACJ. — VNS