Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung joined lawyers in a talk in Hanoi on Dec. 8 on their role in justice reform, law-governed State building, economic development and international integration.

Addressing the talk, held by the Vietnam Lawyers Association, PM Dung valued the lawyer circle’s contributions to the country’s revolutionary cause and socio-economic development.

He stressed the need to increase both the number of lawyers and their capacity in the context of integration in order to meet the demands of the country’s industrialisation and modernisation process.

“The number of lawyers has increased 250 percent since 2001 to 5,800 at present, reaching the rate of nearly 15,000 people per one lawyer. However , lawyers are in great demand to protect people’s legitimate interests, to develop the judiciary system and to provide judiciary consultancy”, the PM said, noting that Thailand has 1,600 people per one lawyer, Singapore – 1,000, and the US – 250.

PM Dung also spoke of the lack of a mechanism for lawyers in building a legal system, stressing the need to have their opinions to building laws to make them more practical.

He entrusted the Justice Ministry to coordinate with the Lawyers Association to draft regulations to propose to the PM for promulgation in order to facilitate lawyers’ participation in law building projects.

PM Dung also exchanged views with the lawyers about issues related to their capabilities in terms of international legal proceedings, management of legal practices, and policies for lawyers in remote and isolated areas.

He stressed the need to renew curricula and teaching methods in legal training, targeting to have 20,000 qualified lawyers by 2020./.