On October 17, 2025, a significant training conference unfolded in Lao Cai province, drawing together leaders and representatives from the Department of Justice, State Legal Aid Center, provincial police, prosecutorial and judicial agencies, and legal associations. The gathering, as reported by baolaocai.vn, was not just a routine meeting—it was a fresh chapter in Vietnam’s ongoing efforts to ensure that the poor and vulnerable have meaningful access to justice, especially in criminal and civil proceedings.
This event is part of a broader push, funded by the World Bank and the Japan Social Development Fund, to enhance legal aid for those most in need. The conference focused on equipping participants with the latest knowledge and skills to ensure that every legal aid request is handled swiftly and fairly. It’s a big deal for a country where legal complexities and limited resources can often leave the marginalized on the sidelines of justice.
The roots of this coordinated approach go back nearly two decades. According to baolaocai.vn, the mechanism for coordination and rapid response in legal aid was first established in 2007, regulated by a suite of laws including the Criminal Procedure Law and the Legal Aid Law. A major milestone came on June 29, 2018, when six ministries and agencies issued Joint Circular No. 10, setting out clear guidelines for how legal aid should be coordinated in criminal proceedings. This was more than bureaucratic paperwork—it was a commitment to putting the interests of those needing legal aid at the center of the process.
Fast forward to May 19, 2022, and another leap forward: Coordination Program No. 1603 was signed between the Ministry of Justice and the Supreme People’s Court. This program marked the first time that legal aid providers were directly stationed at courts nationwide, making it easier for people to get help right where legal decisions are made. Not long after, on August 29, 2022, the Lao Cai Provincial Department of Justice and the People’s Court signed Coordination Plan No. 53, further cementing the province’s commitment to timely and lawful legal aid in criminal proceedings.
The October 2025 training covered two central topics: the nuts and bolts of coordination between the State Legal Aid Center and criminal procedure agencies (per Joint Circular No. 10), and the rapid response mechanisms between these agencies and the Legal Aid Center (per Coordination Program 1603). The aim? To make sure that no request for legal aid falls through the cracks, and that every agency involved knows exactly how to work together for the benefit of those they serve.
But what does this all mean for ordinary people? For that, you only need to look at the story of Mr. Giàng Nhịa Sùng, a Mong ethnic resident of Co Dau village, Nam Ty commune, Son La province. As detailed by baosonla.org.vn, Mr. Sùng’s life took a difficult turn in late 2024 when a neighboring household encroached on his family’s farmland—land he’d reclaimed back in 2009 and for which he’d been granted a land use rights certificate in 2017. Despite repeated attempts at local mediation, nothing changed. Facing financial hardship and lacking legal know-how, Mr. Sùng turned to the Provincial State Legal Aid Center for help.
The response was swift. Legal aid staff traveled to his village, collected documents, and walked Mr. Sùng through the legal procedures needed to defend his rights. The court eventually determined that of the 6,479.4 square meters in dispute, 6,274.3 square meters rightfully belonged to Mr. Sùng. Thanks to legal aid representation, the court sided with him, ordering the encroaching party to return the land and stop all further encroachment. Mr. Sùng later shared, “Before, I was very worried because I did not understand the law and did not know how to protect my land. Thanks to the legal aid officers explaining and guiding me thoroughly, I understood my family’s lawful rights and had the confidence to stand before the court. When the court ruled in my favor, I was both happy and grateful. Thanks to legal aid, poor people like me are also protected by the law.”
Mr. Sùng’s case is just one of hundreds handled by the Provincial State Legal Aid Center in Son La alone. According to Mr. Tòng Văn Minh, Deputy Director of the Center, in the first nine months of 2025, they managed 358 legal aid cases—350 involving criminal proceedings and eight non-criminal cases. Most cases revolved around criminal matters (291), with the remainder covering civil, family, and land disputes (63). The Center’s quality control found that nearly 98% of these cases were rated as good or excellent, a testament to the professionalism and dedication of both legal aid officers and collaborating lawyers.
Legal aid in Vietnam isn’t just about courtroom victories. Since 2017, the Son La Legal Aid Center has organized more than 770 communication sessions in poor communes and 835 sessions in especially difficult areas. These sessions help citizens understand their rights, learn how to file applications, and get familiar with laws on marriage, land, criminal, and civil matters. The Department of Justice has also signed coordination programs with other governmental bodies to promote legal education and aid, ensuring that even the most remote communities aren’t left in the dark.
Coordination is the secret sauce here. In Lao Cai, the Department of Justice and People’s Court’s Plan No. 53 is designed to guarantee that those eligible for legal aid get timely access to services, helping ensure that legal proceedings are objective, lawful, and respectful of human and civil rights. The October training conference doubled down on this, giving participants practical skills to handle legal aid requests efficiently and to work seamlessly with their counterparts in other agencies.
The legal framework supporting all this is robust. Under Vietnam’s 2017 Legal Aid Law, a wide range of people are entitled to free legal aid: those who’ve contributed to the revolution, poor households, children, ethnic minorities in especially difficult areas, people with disabilities, the elderly, victims of domestic violence or human trafficking, and more. This inclusive approach reflects a philosophy of “people-centered justice, justice for humanity,” as baosonla.org.vn puts it—a principle that’s more than a slogan. It’s a lived reality for people like Mr. Sùng and countless others.
None of this would be possible without the dedication of legal aid officers, collaborating lawyers, and the support of international partners. The World Bank- and Japan-funded project in Lao Cai is just one example of how global resources can help local communities build fairer, more accessible justice systems. And as the recent training conference showed, Vietnam is determined to keep pushing forward, making sure that every citizen—no matter how remote or disadvantaged—can stand up for their rights and have their day in court.
As these reforms take root, the stories of individuals like Mr. Sùng serve as powerful reminders that justice is not just an abstract ideal, but something that can—and should—be made real for everyone.