Starting from May 2026, the Law on Judicial Examination (amended) officially takes effect.
This Law stipulates the personnel of forensic examination, organizations of forensic examination; procedures and processes for forensic examination; costs of forensic examination; regimes and policies in forensic examination activities; state management of forensic examination; responsibilities of procedural agencies, organizations, and individuals related to forensic examination activities.
According to the Law passed by the National Assembly, the judicial examination office is organized and operates in the form of a private enterprise, partnership company in accordance with the law on enterprises and other relevant legal regulations.
The forensic examination office is established and registered to operate in fields and specialties such as finance, banking, construction, forensic medicine including DNA specialty (except in cases in criminal proceedings), natural resources...
Also according to the Law on Forensic Examination (amended), the Forensic Examination Office is not allowed to conduct forensic examination for DNA, documents, digital and electronic techniques, traces and fingerprints in criminal proceedings, unless requested by the person requesting forensic examination in special cases specified by this Law.
The law stipulates that the Head of the Judicial Appraisal Office is the legal representative of the Judicial Appraisal Office, performing the management and operation of the Judicial Appraisal Office. The Head of the Judicial Appraisal Office must be a judicial appraiser.
The Judicial Appraisal Office is established and registered to operate at the Department of Justice of the province or city when it meets the following conditions:
The Head of the Judicial Appraisal Office is a judicial appraiser with an appraisal period of 3 years or more; with a Project to establish a judicial appraisal office.
The Judicial Appraisal Office is allowed to operate from the date the Department of Justice of the province or city approves the Project on establishment and issuance of an operating registration certificate.
Notably, this Law clearly stipulates that cadres, civil servants, public employees, officers, non-commissioned officers, soldiers, professional soldiers, workers, and public employees in agencies and units under the People's Army; officers, non-commissioned officers, soldiers, and workers in agencies and units under the People's Police are not allowed to establish judicial examination offices.
The Government shall specify the order and procedures for establishment and registration of operations, changes in the content of establishment, registration of operations, re-issuance of registration certificates of operations, temporary suspension of operations, termination of operations, consolidation, and merger of judicial expertise offices.
