Vietnam: Is murder classified as a very serious crime?

According to Clause 2, Article 1 of the Law on Amendments to the Criminal Code 2017, the basis for classifying crimes is to consider the highest level of the penalty frame stipulated by this Code.

Murder is stipulated in Article 123 of the Criminal Code 2015, and the highest level of the penalty frame is Clause 1 of this Article:

1. A murderer in any of the cases below shall face a penalty of 12 - 20 years' imprisonment, life imprisonment or death:

a) Murder of 02 or more people;

b) Murder of a person aged under 16;

c) Murder of a woman with the full knowledge of her pregnancy;

d) Murder of a law enforcement officer in performance of his/her official duties or murder of a person because of his/her official duties;

dd) Murder of the murderer's grandparent, parent, caregiver or teacher;

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According to Clause 2, Article 1 of the Law on Amendments to the Criminal Code 2017:

- Very serious crime means a crime whose danger to society is great and for which the maximum sentence of the bracket defined by this Code is from over 07 years' to 15 years' imprisonment;

- Extremely serious crime means a crime whose danger to society is enormous and for which the maximum sentence of the bracket defined by this Code is from over 15 years' to 20 years' imprisonment, life imprisonment, or death.

Thus, from the above regulations, murder is classified as an especially serious crime in Vietnam. Therefore, murder is not a very serious crime.

Respectfully!