HÀ NỘI – The government has issued a decree on regulating the implementation of measures to supervise and educate offenders under 18 who are exempted from criminal liability.

According to the decree, the supervision and education must ensure the following principles: rehabilitation of the juvenile; raising awareness and sense of obedience to the law; prevention of recidivism; respecting the dignity, honour and legitimate rights and interests of the juvenile; forbidding all acts that infringe on the life, health, honour, dignity and legitimate rights and interests of the juvenile.

In addition to these, the decree also underlines principles to ensure that the conditions, circumstances, age, personal needs and best interests of the juvenile are appropriate; that the juvenile and the confidentiality of the juvenile are respected and protected, and ensure the participation of families, schools, agencies, organisations and individuals in the implementation of supervision and education measures.

The supervision and education shall begin from the date the juvenile is present at the commune-level people’s committee office for hearing the notification on the implementation of supervision and education measures.

The decree also stipulates that commune-level people’s committees shall organise the implementation of supervision and education measures. Based on the juvenile offence, personnel capacity and other conditions in localities, chairpersons of commune-level people’s committees shall decide on the list of persons directly supervising and educating the juveniles, including three to five persons selected from among specified individuals.

Chairpersons of commune-level people’s committees shall also organise the training of staff who will directly supervise and educate the juveniles or send the staff to appropriate training programmes organised at the district or provincial level.

The commune or township-level police are responsible for assisting the chairpersons in implementing education measures in localities.

Grassroots cultural officials and staff of social associations, such as women’s unions and youth unions, or prestigious people in the community who have experience in educating the youth, can directly supervise and educate juveniles on being assigned by the local people’s committee chairperson.

Schools, families and other agencies, organisations and individuals shall coordinate with and support the supervision and education of juveniles.— VNS