This is one of the notable contents in the Code of Ethics and Professional Conduct for Vietnamese Lawyers recently issued by the Vietnam Bar Federation, attached to Decision 201/QD-HDLSTQ dated December 13, 2019.
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Partial image of the 2019 Code of Conduct
Vietnamese Lawyers' Code of Ethics and Professional Conduct dated December 13, 2019
To be specific, according to the previous regulations in Rule 4 of the 2011 Vietnamese Lawyers' Code of Ethics and Professional Conduct, providing free legal aid was considered the conscience and professional responsibility of lawyers. Lawyers were obligated to provide free legal aid to the poor and other subjects as stipulated by law, the Charter of the Vietnam Bar Federation, with dedication, impartiality, and professional responsibility as with remunerated cases.
Additionally, according to Decision 112/QD-BTV by the Standing Committee of the Vietnam Bar Federation on the issuance of regulations regarding the obligation to provide free legal aid, lawyers were required to fulfill a minimum of 04 working hours of free legal aid per year.
However, Rule 4 of the 2019 Vietnamese Lawyers' Code of Ethics and Professional Conduct only stipulates that lawyers are always ready and actively participate in activities for the common interests of society, suitable for the legal profession. Simultaneously, they perform legal aid with dedication, impartiality, and professional responsibility as with remunerated cases.
Thus, it can be seen that, compared to the previous regulations in the 2011 Code, the 2019 Code has removed the provision that free legal aid as the conscience and professional responsibility of lawyers, as well as the free legal aid to the poor and other subjects with dedication, impartiality, and professional responsibility, is a mandatory obligation of lawyers.
From December 13, 2019, providing free legal aid to the subjects who receive legal support is no longer a mandatory obligation for lawyers as per the previous regulations.
Nguyen Trinh
