Vietnam: May persons pursuing Law major be judges? What training majors should students pursue to become a judge?

May persons pursuing Law major in Vietnam be judges? What training majors should students pursue to become a judge?

Article 67 of the Law on Organization of People's Courts 2014 regulates the standards for court judges as follows:

Standards for court judges

1. Being a Vietnamese citizen who is loyal to the Fatherland and the Constitution of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam, has good ethical qualities, firm political stance, courage and resolve to safeguard justice, and is incorrupt and honest.

2. Possessing a bachelor or higher degree in law.

3. Having been professionally trained in adjudication.

4. Having been engaged in practical legal work for a certain period of time.

5. Being physically fit to fulfill assigned duties.

Pursuing Law major and obtaining a bachelor's degree in law or higher is one of the standards for becoming a judge.

Thus, to become a judge, students in Vietnam should pursue Law major.

May persons pursuing Law major in Vietnam be judges? What training majors should students pursue to become a judge? (Image from the Internet)

What are the qualities required for a Judge in Vietnam?

According to the ethical standards of Judges stipulated in Chapter 2 of the Code of Ethics and Conduct for Judges issued with Decision 87/QD-HDTC in 2018, the qualities required for a Judge in Vietnam are as follows:

(1) Independence:

- In the process of resolving a case, Judges must make their own decisions based on their assessment of the case's details and evidence, adhering only to the law, maintaining professional integrity against any external interference.

- Judges must be independent of the members of the adjudication council, other judicial participants, and external and internal influences of the court.

- Judges should not interfere in the judicial activities of other members of the adjudication council or other judicial participants.

(2) Integrity:

- Judges must be honest, clean, straightforward, and truthful.

- Judges must not exploit their position to seek benefits for themselves or others and must not allow their family members or court officials under their management to demand or receive money, assets, or other benefits from anyone due to reasons related to the work they handle.

- Judges must publicly declare their personal income according to the law.

(3) Impartiality and Objectivity:

- Judges must be impartial, objective, and perform their duties correctly without personal gains and without favoritism towards any party in the case.

- Judges must base their decisions on documents, evidence admissioned publicly at trial, trial arguments, legal provisions, customs, legal precedence, and fairness to resolve all case issues.

- Judges must avoid any comments during trials, public hearings, in front of the public, or media that could compromise the impartiality and objectivity of case resolutions.

(4) Fairness and Equality:

- Judges are responsible for ensuring fairness and equality, allowing participants to fully exercise their rights and obligations during the judicial process.

- In resolving cases, Judges must not allow, nor engage in, any acts of inequality or discrimination based on ethnicity, gender, belief, religion, social class, education level, occupation, social status, ownership forms, and the economic components of individuals or entities.

(5) Proper Conduct:

- In all their activities, Judges must act appropriately, courteously, carefully, maintain order, and honor during judicial proceedings, and always display patience and compassion towards defendants, involved parties, and other judicial participants.

- During trials or in judicial documents, Judges must not make comments that disrespect others.

(6) Dedication and Timeliness:

- Judges must be dedicated to their work and fully committed to fulfilling their judicial tasks to resolve cases as quickly as possible.

- When resolving cases, Judges must strictly adhere to legal deadlines, avoiding case delays due to subjective reasons.

(7) Competence and Diligence:

- Judges must continuously study, practice, and accumulate experience to enhance their legal knowledge, professional skills, adjudication abilities, professional integrity, and judicial proficiency.

- Judges must keep themselves updated with comprehensive, prompt, and in-depth information about legal developments, notable national and international political, economic, and social issues, aiding the accurate application of laws in line with justice.

- Judges must be dedicated to their assigned tasks, working actively with the spirit of "finishing the work, not just the shift."

What are the current enrollment methods for students pursuing Law major in Vietnam?

According to Article 6 of the Regulation issued with Circular 08/2022/TT-BGDDT, educational institutions decide on one or several enrollment methods (entrance exam, admission, or a combination of these methods) applied universally across their programs or selectively for specific program, majors, fields, and forms of education.

A program or major can simultaneously utilize multiple enrollment methods.

Each enrollment method must clearly define the evaluation and admission criteria, and how these criteria are used to classify, rank, and determine the eligibility of candidates based on program or major requirements.

The evaluation and admission criteria must be based on the foundational knowledge and essential competencies required for candidates to pursue the program or major.

- For the enrollment method based on academic performance and exam results of individual subjects (including the GPA of high school subjects, high school graduation exam results, and other evaluation results):

+ The combination of subjects used for admission must include at least three subjects suited to the program's characteristics and requirements (subject-specific weightings may apply), including mathematics or literature;

+ A major or program can utilize multiple combinations of subjects concurrently, and may specify score differences between combinations when determining eligibility;

+ No more than four combinations of subjects will be used for admission into one major or program, except when combinations differ only in foreign language subjects.

- For a major, program with specific quotas for each enrollment method or subject combination:

+ The allocation of quotas between enrollment methods or subject combinations must be justified reasonably, ensuring fairness among candidates selecting different methods or combinations;

+ Changes or additions to enrollment methods or combinations must be grounded and planned reasonably, ensuring that the quota distribution for a previously used method or combination does not decrease by more than 30% from the previous year's allotment (within the quota structure of the major or program), unless such change or addition was announced at least one year before the registration period opening.

- Educational institutions are responsible for explaining the scientific and practical basis for determining the enrollment methods, admission methods, subject combinations, and quota allocations. This includes analysis, evaluation, and comparison of the academic performance of admitted students annually.