Building Solid Legal Foundation to Support Local Development

In its ongoing modernization efforts, the Dien Bien Provincial Department of Justice has consistently strengthened the legal framework, establishing a solid foundation for governance, investment, and social life. These initiatives contribute to enhancing state management effectiveness and protecting the legal rights of citizens and businesses.

Seminar on Project 977 on enhancing public access to the law and on the legal support program for small and medium enterprises at the Dien Bien Department of Justice

Institutional strengthening and administrative reform

Between 2020 and 2025, the Department of Justice reviewed 318 draft legal documents, facilitating the adoption of numerous resolutions and decisions with high directive value and feasibility. Regular inspections and systematic reviews of legal documents have been maintained to eliminate outdated regulations, ensuring transparency and consistency in the law, thereby creating essential "soft infrastructure" for local development.

Administrative reform in the judicial sector has been a focal point. The department has focused on simplifying procedures, reducing paperwork, digitizing records, and expanding online public services. Dien Bien has been a pioneer in digitizing civil status records and integrating population data, completing this nationwide initiative with nearly 590,000 cases updated into the electronic database. Services such as birth registration, marriage registration, and criminal record certificates are now interconnected, requiring only a single submission. The rate of online document processing exceeds 87%, with the department leading its sector in administrative reform indices for several years.

Digital transformation is viewed not merely as a technological upgrade but as a strategic approach. Specialized software, legal databases, and interlinked systems across ministries, provinces, and communes enhance management efficiency, aligning the justice sector with the trends of digital government and digital society.

Professionalism and innovation

Over 80% of the population in Dien Bien is eligible for free legal aid. Recognizing this as a humanitarian mission, the department has organized thousands of legal aid cases, primarily through litigation participation, assisting the poor and ethnic minorities in accessing justice and protecting their legal rights.

Legal education and dissemination have been implemented creatively and practically: mobile propaganda, bilingual materials, dramatizations, community radio, social media, and online contests have brought legal knowledge to millions of people in remote and border areas. Mobile legal aid and grassroots mediation activities have become close bridges, spreading trust and the spirit of the rule of law within the community.

For businesses, especially small and medium-sized enterprises, the department has implemented various practical legal support activities such as building databases, specialized information portals, dialogues, training sessions, and newsletters. These efforts help businesses stay updated on policies, reduce legal risks, enhance governance capacity, and contribute to improving the province's competitiveness index.

The effectiveness of the law begins at the grassroots level. The sector has focused on strengthening the legal and civil status staff at the commune level, ensuring that 100% of officials hold a law degree and receive regular training, especially in digital transformation and public administration. In the two-tier government model, the grassroots team serves as the "extended arm" bringing the law into everyday life, enhancing state management effectiveness.

Tran Thanh Hung, Director of the Department of Justice, urged the younger generation to demonstrate initiative and creativity, shaping the image of judicial officers who are exemplary, disciplined, dedicated, and responsible. The department’s message is clear: “The people are at the center and the focus of all policies.” With this spirit, the justice sector will continue to stand alongside the people and businesses, contributing to a developed, disciplined, and prosperous Dien Bien.

By Ha Thanh, Vietnam Business Forum