The top legislator made the remarks at the first conference of full-time National Assembly deputies of the 16th tenure, which opened in Hanoi on September 28 to discuss 17 major draft laws expected to be submitted to the National Assembly at its second sitting.

In his view, each draft law should start with a clear assessment of the practical problem it seeks to address, the necessity of legislative change, the policy’s expected value and impact, compliance costs, implementation resources and the responsibilities of the relevant authorities.

This approach puts the substance of policy at the centre of lawmaking. Deputies were urged to focus on provisions that remain controversial, issues with significant impacts on people and businesses, and new mechanisms that have not yet been fully tested, rather than simply completing draft laws according to schedule.

Keeping laws focused without shifting difficult issues elsewhere

Reducing the length of laws should not dilute their policy substance, said the National Assembly President, adding that the distinction between legislation and rule-making must be clearly maintained, and that streamlining laws must not become a way of shifting difficult policy choices to decrees and circulars.

Issues involving human rights and citizens’ rights, business conditions, resource allocation, the organisation of state power and the responsibilities of state agencies should be clearly regulated in laws. By contrast, technical procedures and matters subject to frequent change should be assigned to the appropriate authorities so that implementation can be flexible.

“Legislation should be more concise without compromising policy substance, contain fewer provisions while clearly defining responsibilities, and provide greater stability without losing the flexibility needed to respond to changing circumstances. Keeping the law responsive to real-world developments should not mean repeatedly amending legislation whenever circumstances change,” the National Assembly President said.

The same principle applies beyond individual laws. With many draft laws considered in the same sitting and closely linked to one another, improving each law separately is not enough. Removing a bottleneck in one law should not create another elsewhere; the same issue should not be regulated differently across different laws; and people and businesses should not have to determine for themselves which provision takes precedence.

A coherent legal system therefore requires more than a collection of sound individual laws. The laws must also work together within a consistent framework.

From sound policy to effective implementation

The quality of legislation ultimately depends on what happens after a law is passed. Top legislator Man noted that a law does not end when the National Assembly votes on it; its value is demonstrated when it is put into practice.

That requires close attention to implementation, including the requirements of the two-tier local administration model and the continued push for decentralisation and delegation of powers. Decentralisation, he suggested, should involve not only the transfer of authority but also the corresponding resources, data and responsibilities.

Digital transformation must likewise produce genuine improvements rather than simply digitising an inefficient process. Removing a paper document only to create an equivalent electronic document does not amount to reform, he said.

Detailed implementing regulations should also be prepared alongside laws so that legislation does not take effect before the necessary decrees and circulars are in place.

These requirements place greater weight on the quality of legislative preparation. Deputies should base their views on a thorough study of dossiers, comparison with practical experience and consideration of each draft law within the wider legal system. Their contributions should focus on policy choices: what new policy a draft law introduces, how it should be designed, and whether the proposed changes can be implemented without creating new obstacles.

Where major policy issues remain contested, impact assessments are incomplete, links with other laws have not been adequately addressed, or implementation conditions are not yet in place, proposals should be further refined rather than advanced simply to meet a timetable.

“Progress must not replace quality, and the number of laws passed must not become the measure of success in lawmaking,” National Assembly leader pointed out.

The underlying measure, he emphasised, is whether legislation solves practical problems, protects people’s legitimate rights and interests, removes bottlenecks, unlocks resources and improves national governance. A sound law must therefore be “firm in policy, rigorous in process, consistent across the legal system and smooth in implementation”.

With this approach, the conference is expected to contribute not only to preparations for the National Assembly’s second sitting but also to a more proactive, professional, disciplined and substantive legislative process throughout the 16th tenure, he concluded.