The message came at the September meeting of the Central Steering Committee on Institutional Reform and Law Enforcement in Hanoi on September 28, where the top leader, who heads the committee, highlighted legal reform to become a practical driver of development rather than a source of uncertainty or unnecessary compliance costs.

He stressed that the effectiveness of lawmaking and law enforcement should be measured by whether bottlenecks are removed, compliance costs reduced, resources unlocked and the legitimate rights and interests of people and businesses protected.

Stability for investment, flexibility for development

The leader requested continued efforts to review the country's system of legal documents, with priority given to regulations that hinder investment, production and business or increase compliance costs.

Where shortcomings have already been clearly identified and there is sufficient legal and practical basis for action, relevant agencies should address them within their authority or submit them to the competent authorities without waiting for the completion of the overall review.

The review should go beyond identifying outdated provisions. It should contribute to restructuring the legal system, improving institutions and unlocking resources for development.

He said the proposed strategy for improving Vietnam's legal system in the new era should set out a long-term direction and align with relevant Party resolutions, with clear and measurable targets for 2030 and a vision to 2045.

By 2030, the country should make a clear improvement in law enforcement, fundamentally address weaknesses in implementation and resolve the backlog of detailed regulations. By 2045, Vietnam aims to have a modern legal system operating on digital data and artificial intelligence, alongside a democratic, professional and law-based judicial system.

For the legal system to support that trajectory, the top leader underlined the need for both stability and adaptability. According to him, laws should provide enough certainty for people and businesses to understand their rights and obligations and make long-term decisions. At the same time, they should be flexible enough to respond to economic development, international integration, advances in science and technology, new business models, climate change and emerging issues in practice.

The transition from prior checks to post-compliance supervision should be based on standards, data, risk management and accountability, he added.

This approach also calls for a change in the way legislation is designed. The focus should be on creating conditions for development while retaining effective oversight, with policy pilots subject to clear boundaries, time limits, responsibilities and safeguards for affected parties.

Making the law work for people and businesses

For the top leader, the quality of legislation ultimately depends on how it works in practice.

Law enforcement should therefore be treated as a continuous responsibility, beginning with policy design and continuing through implementation and post-enactment assessment. Sectoral and local management agencies and their heads should bear primary responsibility for implementation, while legal and judicial bodies should provide advice, guidance and monitoring rather than carrying the entire burden of enforcement.

Each policy should clearly identify who is responsible for implementation, what resources and conditions are required and what results are expected.

The Government should also address delays in issuing detailed regulations and eliminate the practice of using administrative documents to introduce additional conditions or obligations beyond the law.

Public feedback and petitions should receive responses within defined time limits and be followed through until they are resolved.

A stronger culture of compliance should begin with public authorities, officials and Party members setting an example. At the same time, arbitrary enforcement, harassment and avoidance of responsibility should be addressed, while people who act lawfully should be protected and violations dealt with fairly.

General Secretary and President To Lam requested that people be better equipped to understand and use the law to protect their rights, alongside stronger support for vulnerable groups and small and medium-sized enterprises and greater public oversight and independent assessment.

The practical test, he said, should be visible in shorter processing times, lower costs, stronger protection of rights and effective resolution of violations.

Clearer legal boundaries and stronger safeguards

The same principle applies to the revision of criminal and investigative legislation. In revising the 2015 Penal Code, the top leader called for a criminal policy that is firm yet humane, places greater emphasis on prevention and protection of people, and supports development. Responsibility should be differentiated, serious action taken against masterminds and ringleaders, and opportunities provided for remedying consequences and reintegration.

He also stressed the need to avoid criminalising civil, economic and administrative relations, while ensuring that conduct showing sufficient signs of criminal offences is not dealt with merely through administrative measures.

Clearer legal boundaries are intended to protect people who act properly and reduce the risk of arbitrary enforcement.

For the revised Law on the Organisation of Criminal Investigation Bodies, the focus should be on strengthening investigative capacity under the new organisational model while maintaining strict controls over prosecutorial powers. Each authority should have clearly defined conditions for its exercise and corresponding individual accountability.

The meeting also addressed administrative violations and civil dispute resolution. The proposed approach includes shifting enforcement towards risk management, prevention and improved compliance, as well as reducing the time and cost of resolving civil disputes and making greater use of digital technology and data-based management.

The meeting discussed six reports covering the overall review of legal documents, the strategy for improving the legal system, law enforcement and legal compliance, amendments to criminal legislation and investigative law, administrative violation mechanisms and civil dispute resolution.

The top leader asked the agencies concerned to complete the relevant dossiers and ensure that each task has a clear output, deadline and responsible body. Issues with sufficient basis for action should be addressed without delay, while matters that remain unresolved should be submitted with clear options for decision.

The broader objective is to make lawmaking and law enforcement work as one continuous system, with results reflected in fewer bottlenecks, lower compliance costs, better protection of rights, more effectively mobilised resources and stronger public confidence in the legal and judicial system.