Review seminar held to protect, study constitution

Review seminar held to protect, study constitution

(23-03-2005)

NGHE AN — A National Assembly Standing Committee commission held a seminar yesterday in Vinh City to review the country's efforts in recent years to protect and abide by Viet Nam's constitution.

In addition to reviewing Viet Nam's performance, the seminar participants also drew on experiences from other countries to draw proposals for the protection of the constitution for a socialist nation governed by law.

Speaking at the seminar, NA Deputy Chairman Nguyen Van Yeu emphasised that enforcing the constitution to ensure its supreme role in the legal system was necessary to protect one of the basic principles of a socialist Viet Nam governed by the law of the people, for the people and by the people.

He said Viet Nam has a comprehensive system of regulations to ensure that the Government and the people abide by the constitution.

Also at the seminar, many experts delivered speeches analysing the difference between how Viet Nam and other countries treated their constitutions.

One difference they found was that Viet Nam does not assign one office to oversee the protection of its constitution, but instead gives the authority to many State agencies.

Many participants said this situation has resulted in the failure to entirely protect the sanctity of the constitution.

Participants also pointed out that Viet Nam does not have a mechanism to assess the constitutionality of the laws promulgated by the National Assembly.

They suggested that it was necessary to establish a specific organisation to protect Viet Nam's constitution more effectively.

The seminar was organised by the law making commission of the NA's Standing Committee. — VNS