Journal of Law and Development launches a new interface with entirely new AI technology.

The Journal of Law and Development (L&D) is a unit under the Vietnam Lawyers Association (VLA). Its predecessor, the Law Journal, was established in 2001 under License No. 398/LMCI issued by the Ministry of Culture and Information on August 15, 2001, and was published in two languages, English and French. During the first five years, the Journal was managed and participated in by the Standing Committee of the VLA, together with renowned jurists such as the late Chairman of the VLA, Lawyer Phan Anh; the late Chairman of the VLA, former Chief Justice of the Supreme People’s Court (SPC); the late Vice President Ngo Ba Thanh; the late Vice President Phung Van Tuu; and the late Vice President Professor Luu Van Dat. The objective of the Law Journal was to introduce the fundamental contents of Vietnamese law and the foreign policy of the State of Vietnam.

Due to the demand for conversion into a bilingual English-Vietnamese journal, it was re-licensed under License No. 123/LMCI dated September 13, 2005, under the name Journal of Law and Development. On October 22, 2012, the Journal was granted a press operation license No. 1938/LMIC by the Ministry of Information and Communications (MIC), valid for 10 years with an expanded scope of activities, with an issuance frequency of one issue every two months. On November 3, 2014, the Journal was granted a modified license, increasing its frequency to one issue per month. Since its renaming and transition into a bilingual Vietnamese–English journal, the Journal of Law and Development has received additional guidance and effective support from former President of the Association, Mr. Pham Quoc Anh; Vice Presidents of the Association, Prof. Dr. Sci. Dao Tri Uc and Prof. Dr. Le Minh Tam; together with many other renowned jurists.

According to the Press Planning issued by the Prime Minister (PM), the Journal is under the Institute for Legal and Economic Studies of ASEAN (ILEA), Vietnam Lawyers Association (VLA), and was granted License No. 168/LMCI dated April 21, 2020, by the Ministry of Culture and Information (MCI). On March 10, 2024, the Journal was licensed for electronic operation under License No. 56/LMIC by the Ministry of Information and Communications (MIC).

The Law and Development Journal is published bilingually in Vietnamese and English. Its principles and objectives are to introduce the achievements of Vietnamese law in promoting political, economic, cultural–social development, and the values of the Socialist-oriented democracy (SED) to foreign organizations, individuals, and overseas Vietnamese; to present scientific research results conducted or participated in by the Central Committee of the VLA and its affiliated agencies, including the ILEA; and to disseminate achievements of cooperative research in law and economics by domestic and foreign legal research institutions and law training establishments under agreements.

The Law and Development Journal has become a prestigious scientific forum for jurists both in Vietnam and abroad. It has contributed to strengthening the capacity of the VLA in external relations, promoting the activities of the International Association of Democratic Lawyers (IADL), the ASEAN Law Association (ALA), and many other international institutions; as well as enhancing the operational capacity and position of the ILEA.

The scope of operation of the Journal is broad because the field of law and development has a wide connotation. All areas of law fall within the scope of the Journal’s research and activities. Economic aspects related to development and development institutions are also within the Journal’s scope and are often reflected in the “Policy Vision” section. The Journal pays special attention to activities related to exploring, analyzing, and introducing research conducted by the Institute for Legal and Economic Studies of ASEAN (ILEA) on ASEAN law, as well as foreign studies on ASEAN and Vietnam from a comparative law perspective. In its activities, the Journal emphasizes the role of law in development and the relationship between policy and law. The Journal also devotes considerable focus to issues of economic integration and the challenges posed to the legal system in the process of integration.

The activities of the Law and Development Journal direct the attention of domestic and international readers to law, the role of law and policy in sustainable development, the protection of human rights, and the building of the rule-of-law state in Vietnam and globally. The specific objectives pursued by the Law and Development Journal include:

- Creating an open scientific forum for exchanging legal knowledge and discussing the role of law in socio-economic development for domestic and foreign scholars, with a particular focus on scholars from ASEAN.

- Introducing the achievements in the fields of law and judiciary of Vietnam during the process of developing a market economy, international integration, and building a The Socialist Rule-of-Law State of Vietnam in Vietnam;

- Promoting the development of international relations and mutual understanding between the Vietnam Lawyers Association (VLA) and international partners through research and activities of the ILEA and units affiliated with the VLA, thereby enhancing the position and role of the VLA in the international arena, particularly in organizations such as the International Association of Democratic Lawyers (IADL) and the ASEAN Law Association (ALA).

- Cooperating with other press agencies of the VLA to further strengthen the Association’s capacity in the activities of dissemination and legal education entrusted by the Party and the State.

To better meet and serve readers’ needs effectively, and to enhance interaction among scholars, experts, ministries, government, and local authorities, after a period of research and pilot operation in collaboration with technical partners, the Journal has launched its new electronic interface. This updated version retains the traditional sections that have built the Journal’s reputation, such as theoretical research and studies on legal and judicial practice, while also introducing new sections that are organized and arranged in a scientific and harmonious manner, implemented on a multimedia platform.

With the latest modern AI technology features and security management applied to the technical CMS operations of the team of reporters and editors, the Law and Development Journal aspires to provide comprehensive, in-depth information and become a reliable forum for readers and businesses alike.

After more than a decade of development since its re-licensing, the Law and Development Journal has increasingly become one of the extended arms fully carrying out the role of disseminating the Party’s policies and orientations, as well as popularizing the State’s laws to the people. In the time ahead, the Journal sincerely hopes to continue receiving the support and feedback of readers from near and far, both at home and abroad, so that we can keep improving — all in the service of our readers!

JOURNAL OF LAW AND DEVELOPMENT