(VOVworld)- Human rights and citizen rights are the priorities in the National Assembly’s law-making program to clarify new contents of the 2013 Constitution. Minister of Justice Ha Hung Cuong stated this in the program: “People ask, Minister replies” on Sunday. Today we will bring you excerpts from the program.

Minister of Justice Ha Hung Cuong in a TV program: "People ask, Minister replies"

The National Assembly’s adoption of the 2013 Constitution on November 28 reflected a major change in Vietnam’s thinking about the Constitution’s role and position in recognizing, respecting, protecting and ensuring human rights and citizen rights. The change is in line with the common values of a Constitution and the global trend.

Human rights, citizen rights prioritized

The National Assembly has approved a Resolution on implementing the Constitution. Based on this resolution, the National Assembly’s Standing Committee and the Government issued their own plans to implement the Constitution with specific timeframes. Human rights and citizen rights are the two contents that the National Assembly prioritizes in issuing laws. Minister of Justice Ha Hung Cuong said:“Based on the plans of the National Assembly’s Standing Committee and the government, many laws will be revised and new laws will be issued to specify the Constitution’s stipulations about human rights and citizen rights. They will include documents on political, civil, economic and cultural rights. The Government has submitted these documents to the National Assembly’s Standing Committee. The legislative body will meet soon to approve the law-building program of 2015. The National Assembly is expected to issue laws and codes on human rights and citizen rights in 2015 and 2016, some stipulations of these laws have been implemented this year”.

In addition to progress, attention has been paid to the quality of legal documents relating to human rights and citizen rights. Minister Cuong said:“The Prime Minister has asked the Ministry of Justice to review all necessary activities to ensure the effective enforcement of laws on human rights, and the rights and obligations of citizens. The Prime Minister also ordered that an Advisory Council be set up to ensure that new laws are based on the Constitution”.

Ensuring the people’s right to legal defense in prosecution

Minister Cuong says that ensuring the people’s right to legal defense in prosecution is an important content of constitutional revisions on human rights and citizen rights: “The 2013 Constitution for the first time stipulates that the court must ensure the principles of instituting proceedings with defendants and lawyers. Under the Constitution, the number of defendants who are allowed to engage lawyers is expanded. Previously, only those who were brought to trial were allowed to have lawyers. Now, those who are arrested, detained, temporarily jailed or investigated, have the right to defend themselves or engage lawyers. The Constitution also clarifies the principles of presumed innocence. Previously, it was stipulated that a person was innocent until he received a court verdict of guilty. According to the current Constitution, there will be indictment only if accusations are proved”.

The Constitution also stipulates the principles of ensuring court procedures and schedule in trying somebody. All of these stipulations aim to prevent unjust punishments. The 2013 Constitution broadens the protecting and promoting of human rights and citizen rights. The realization of these constitutional stipulations will contribute to promoting democracy.