If a first-time complaint remains unsettled in Vietnam, do I have right to institute a lawsuit in Vietnam?

1. If a first-time complaint remains unsettled in Vietnam, do I have right to institute a lawsuit in Vietnam?

Pursuant to Article 33 of the Law on Complaints 2011, there are provisions on filing of second-time complaints or institution of administrative cases as follows:

1. Within 30 days after the expiration of the complaint settlement time limit specified in Article 28 of this Law, if a first-time complaint remains unsettled, or after receiving a first-time complaint settlement decision, if the complainant disagrees with this decision, he/ she may make another complaint with a person competent to settle second-time complaints; for deep-lying or remote areas with difficult travel conditions, this time limit may be prolonged but must not exceed 45 days.

For making second-lime complaints, the complainant must send a second-time complaint enclosed with the first-time complaint settlement decision and relevant documents to a person competent to settle second-lime complaints.

2. Upon the expiration of the complaint settlement time limit specified in Article 28 of this Law, if a first-time complaint remains unsettled or the complainant disagrees with the first-time complaint settlement decision, he/she has right to institute an administrative lawsuit at court in accordance with the Law on Administrative Procedures.

In Article 28 of the Law on Complaints 2011, time limit for settling first-time complaints is as follows:

The time limit for settling a first-time complaint does not exceed 30 days after the complaint is accepted. For a complicated case, this time limit may be prolonged but must not exceed 45 days after the complaint is accepted.

In deep-lying or remote areas with difficult travel conditions, the time limit for settling a complaint is 45 days after the complaint is accepted. For a complicated case, this time limit may be prolonged but must not exceed 60 days after the complaint is accepted.

Thus, according to the above provisions, if the first-time complaint settlement time limit is 30 or 45 days but the competent authority does not settle your complaint, you have the right to initiate an administrative lawsuit in Vietnam.

2. What are regulations on rights and obligations of complainants in Vietnam? 

According to Article 12 of the Law on Complaints 2011, rights and obligations of complainants are prescribed as follows:

1. A complainant has the following rights:

a/ To make a complaint by him/herself.

In case the complainant is a minor or has lost, his/her civil act capacity, his/her representative at law may implement a complaint.

In case the complainant is ill or old and weak or has a physical defect or encounters an objective circumstance which causes him/her unable to implement a complaint, he/she may authorize his/her parent, spouse, blood sibling or adult child or another person with full civil act capacity to implement a complaint;

b/ To ask a legal counsel or authorize a lawyer to make a complaint to protect his/her rights and lawful interests.

In case the complainant is eligible for legal aid as specified by law, he/she is entitled to ask a legal aid officer to provide legal consultancy or authorize a legal aid officer to make a complaint to protect his/her rights and lawful interests;

c/ To participate in dialogs or authorize a lawful representative to do so;

d/ To be entitled to know, read, photocopy or copy documents and evidences collected by the complaint settler for settling his/her complaint, except information and documents involving state secrets;

dd/ To request relevant persons, agencies and organizations that are preserving or managing information and documents related to his/her complaint contents to provide such information and documents within 07 days after being requested for submission to the complaint settler, except information and documents falling in state secrets;

e/ To request the complaint settler to apply urgent measures to prevent possible consequences of the execution of the complained administrative decision;

g/ To show evidences of the complaint and make explanation on his/her opinions for these evidences;

h/ To receive a written reply on the acceptance of the complaint for settlement, to receive the complaint settlement decision;

i/ To have his/her infringed rights and lawful interests restored; to receive damage compensations in accordance with law;

k/ To make a second-time complaint or institute an administrative case at court in accordance with the Law on Administrative Procedures;

l/ To withdraw his/her complaint.

2. A complainant has the following obligations:

a/ To make a complaint with the right person who is competent to settlement;

b/ To honestly present the matter and show evidences of the correctness and reasonability of the complaint; to provide relevant information and documents to the complaint settler; to take responsibility before law for the presented contents and provided information and documents:

c/ To abide by the administrative decision or act about which he/she makes a complaint pending the complaint settlement, unless such decision or act is suspended from execution as prescribed in Article 35 of this Law;

d/ To strictly abide by the legally effective complaint settlement decision.

3. Complainants shall also implement other rights and obligations as prescribed by law.

According to this Article, the complainant will have the rights and obligations as prescribed above.

Best Regards!