Hanoi (VNA) - A workshop was organised in Hanoi on August 31 by theSupreme People’s Court of Vietnam and UNICEF with the support of the EuropeanUnion Justice and Legal Empowerment Programme (EU JULE) to learn from theexperience of countries that have adopted child justice laws.

By sharing international and regional experiences and best practices, theworkshop served as a forum to discuss strategic measures to improve justice forminors and to develop an outline for a comprehensive child justice law. 

The ideas and recommendations of experts and participants are importantcontributions for the Supreme People's Court to consider and propose theNational Assembly Standing Committee to include the juvenile justice lawproject in the 2023 Law and Ordinance Development Programme, said Chief JusticeNguyen Hoa Binh.

In recent years, the Government of Vietnam has made considerable effort toreform legislation pertaining to justice for minors. However, special handlingmeasures for minors in conflict with the law are still scattered across thePenal Code, Criminal Procedure Code, and Law on Handling of AdministrativeViolations. This results in fragmentation and challenges in ensuring coherent,effective and efficient implementation.

“UNICEF is fully engaged with this significant step toward a comprehensive lawon justice for minors. We applaud the adoption of a holistic approach tointroduce strategic changes for increased access to justice for all minors inconflict with the law, as well as victims and witnesses of crime,” said LesleyMiller, UNICEF deputy representative in Vietnam.

Recognising the unique vulnerabilities of minors, the Convention on the Rightsof the Child requires the establishment of a separate system with a specialisedapproach when working with minors in conflict with the law. Central to such asystem is having a comprehensive law on justice for minors, as many countrieshave adopted, including most ASEAN countries.

“A comprehensive law on justice for minors is the cornerstone of a child-friendlyjustice system, outlining a distinct set of principles, objectives, procedures,and services that have been specially adapted to minors. The European Unionwill continue to support Vietnam with this effort,” said Thomas Wiersing,chargé d’affaires of the Delegation of the European Union to Vietnam.

International keynote speakers, experts from relevant committees of theNational Assembly, line ministries, professional and mass organisations,supreme and provincial courts, and development agencies participated in thisworkshop.

Issues discussed included the need of an effective inter-agency collaborationand coordination; child- and gender-sensitive handling of minors; a coherentcontinuum of sanctions and measures; the role of social workers in all stagesof the child justice procedures; and the development of social welfare servicesfor community-based rehabilitation of minors./.