Vietnam · Legislation
Legislation and primary sources
Where to find the authoritative text of the law in Vietnam, and how to confirm it is still in force.
Sources of law, ranked
- The Constitution of 2013
- Supreme in form; enforced by the National Assembly, not courts.
- Laws and codes of the National Assembly
- Including the Civil Code 2015 and the Land Law 2024.
- Decrees and circulars
- Government and ministerial instruments; the operative detail of most regimes.
- Resolutions of the Supreme People's Court
- Binding guidance to lower courts.
- Selected precedents (án lệ)
- Published since 2016; courts must apply or explain departure.
The legislative process
The National Assembly meets twice yearly and enacts laws by majority; between sessions its Standing Committee issues ordinances. Drafts are prepared by ministries, reviewed by the Ministry of Justice and published for comment. The President promulgates. Most operative detail arrives later in implementing decrees and circulars, so a law's effect frequently cannot be determined from the statute alone — a practical point the topic entries flag.
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