Vietnam has launched its National Legal Portal, a centralized platform that offers user-friendly access to laws, enabling easy research and feedback on legal documents. The portal is expected to reduce current compliance burdens, enhance transparency, and support the country’s digital transformation.
On May 31, Vietnam’s Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh unveiled the National Legal Portal (https://phapluat.gov.vn). Speaking at the ceremony, he described the portal as a crucial component to the country’s goals of enhancing transparency and public understanding of the law.
The portal, available in English and Vietnamese, integrates with the national digital identity system, VNeID. This feature enables citizens and businesses to search for all legal documents along with their effective status. Users can access this new tool through a website or mobile application, which allows them to search for laws, submit inquiries, and give feedback on legal documents.
It also incorporates artificial intelligence (AI) technology and numerous other features to enable barrier-free interaction for users. In the future, the portal will further develop its multilingual capabilities and a results-based monitoring system to assess its impact, thereby better serving a broad audience.
The article examines the key features of the National Legal Portal to help businesses maximize the benefits of the new tool.
Document lookup
The portal connects with various associated portals and information pages to enhance accessibility for individuals and businesses, including:
- Communist Party of Vietnam Electronic Information Portal: Policies, guidelines, and activities of the Communist Party of Vietnam;
- National Assembly of Vietnam Electronic Information Portal: Official information on the activities, legislation, and resolutions of Vietnam’s National Assembly;
- Vietnam Government Portal (VGP): Official government information, policies, and administrative directives
- Vietnam Government Gazette: An authoritative publication for disseminating legal documents, decrees, and regulations issued by the Vietnamese government;
- National Database on Administrative Procedures: Administrative procedures, enabling citizens and businesses to access and complete public services online;
- Ministry of Justice Electronic Information Portal: Activities, policies, and legal services of the Ministry of Justice;
- National Legal Education and Propagation Electronic Information Portal: Promoting legal awareness and education by providing access to legal documents, guidelines, and educational resources for the public;
- National Database on Legal Documents: A database that centralizes legal documents and regulations;
- Legal Text Database of LuatVietnam.vn: A normative legal document, serving as a resource for legal professionals and businesses;
- Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry (VCCI) Electronic Information Portal: A portal for availing activities, policies, and services of the VCCI;
- National Business Registration Portal: A portal that provides business registration processes, tools and information for enterprises to register and manage their operations in Vietnam;
- Vietnam Lawyers Association Electronic Information Portal: A portal for locating the activities, legal advocacy, and professional development initiatives of the Vietnam Lawyers Association;
- Vietnam Bar Federation Electronic Information Portal: This portal provides activities, regulations, and professional services of the Vietnam Bar Federation for legal practitioners; and
- Resolution 57 Electronic Information Portal: A portal providing information on Resolution 57, which pertains to specific government policies or initiatives.
Feedback mechanism
Citizens and businesses can provide their policy feedback and recommendations through the National Legal Portal. This feature is particularly useful for gathering public opinions on new legal drafts. Users can log in using their VneID electronic identification account, submit feedback, and track processing outcomes.
Citizens’ submitted feedback would be promptly forwarded to relevant agencies for their responses. The delegated staff members are supposed to be responsible for monitoring feedback and responding accordingly. These responses will be publicly available along with detailed statistics, helping agencies compile reports and take prompt action.
Providing legal support to businesses and citizens
Numerous informational resources are available to directly support businesses, including commonly used business documents, online lectures, and expert Q&A sessions. Additionally, the portal is connected with various reputable lawyers and law firms to meet the needs for in-depth consultation on matters relevant to businesses.
Furthermore, the portal is integrated with the legal aid information system administered by the Ministry of Justice, facilitating the prompt provision of legal assistance to vulnerable groups in society, including economically disadvantaged individuals and ethnic minorities.
Legal AI
A major feature of the portal is its AI integration. The chatbot is proficient in 26 legal fields, including tax, labor, trade, accounting, and business, delivering instant responses and enabling quick, easy, and affordable access to legal information. It provides significant assistance to individuals seeking to understand legal regulations for their studies and research.
This AI assistance boasts several novel characteristics, such as reliable data, prompt updates, straightforward authentication, and responses in multiple languages.
Takeaway
The portal marks Vietnam’s transition from passive legal service delivery to active government engagement. It aligns with digital government goals by streamlining compliance, minimizing administrative burdens, and saving users time and costs. Additionally, it aims to enhance legal understanding and capacity within the business sector, enabling companies to effectively navigate regulations. Training programs will be established to empower public officials with the necessary skills to utilize the portal’s capabilities fully.
