Conference gathers views on draft denunciation law

Hanoi (VNA) – Opinions on the revised draft Law on Denunciation were collected at a consultation conference held by the Vietnam Lawyers' Association (VLA) and the US Agency for International Development (USAID) in Hanoi on April 20.

Chairman of the VLA Nguyen Van Quyen underlined the importance of Law on Denunciation, which came into effect in July 2012, saying that it contributes to improving the effectiveness of denunciation settlement.

However, he noted that there are limitations related to the authority and order of solving denunciations  and the enforcement of conclusions on denunciations.

Attention has not yet been paid to protecting denouncers in recent times, while policies to ensure safety for them remain ineffective, Quyen added.

He said the conference is hoped to gather opinions of prestigious lawyers, thus building mechanisms to protect denouncers as well as laying a foundation for building the Law onDenunciation (revised) to submit to the National Assembly for approval.

According to Michael Trueblood from USAIDS, all citizens have rights to denounce violations of State agencies. He said the Law on Denunciation (revised) will not only remove legal barriers but also increase transparency of the process of settling denunciations and better protect denouncers.

Participants at the conference focused their discussions on regulations on rights of denouncers and those to protect them.

They said the revised law should have more specific regulations on the principle to define the authority to settle denunciations, and the responsibility of State agencies in applying measures to protect denouncers and their privacy.-VNA