Urgent requirements from practice
Speaking at the workshop, Lawyer Nguyen Hai Nam - Vice President of the Vietnam Bar Federation - said that after more than 4 years of implementing the Charter of the Vietnam Bar Federation, lawyers' activities have had many significant changes. In particular, the arrangement and consolidation of provincial-level administrative units has reduced the number of bar associations from 63 to 34, posing an urgent requirement to adjust the organizational structure to ensure effective operation.
Based on the opinions of members of the Standing Committee, members of the National Bar Council and Bar Associations of provinces and cities, many contents of amending and supplementing the Charter have been proposed. Among them, noteworthy is the proposal to amend and supplement Clause 1, Article 2 related to the legal status of the Vietnam Bar Federation.
Accordingly, the opinions unanimously emphasized the determination that the Vietnam Bar Federation is a unified socio-professional organization nationwide of Bar Associations and Vietnamese lawyers; has legal status, seals and private accounts; is an organization assigned tasks by the Party and State and directly under the Vietnam Fatherland Front.
Discussion of the term "Stagiar Lawyer
The change of identification terms for the successor team was also discussed enthusiastically at the workshop. Many delegates suggested that the draft Charter should update the term "Stagiar Attorney" instead of continuing to use the phrase "Stagiar practitioner of law", because the change is not only wordy but also to ensure unity and proactive adaptation to the direction of amending the law on lawyers in the coming time.
Conversely, many lawyers expressed their desire to keep the current name. According to Lawyer Nguyen Ngoc Lam - Deputy Chairman of the Quang Ngai Provincial Bar Association - the phrase "Lawyer intern" helps create clear boundaries to distinguish from official lawyers. This both helps customers correctly identify the target audience and allows interns to strive and improve their skills before being recognized as a real lawyer.
Besides the debates about names, delegates also paid special attention to the humanity in the regulations on member management and disciplinary action. Lawyer Le Quang Y - Chairman of the Dong Nai Provincial Bar Association - said that late payment of fees should be considered ineligible to practice, similar to financial obligations. This approach is considered humane, helping to reduce unnecessary pressure in internal relationships.
Regarding the issue of disciplinary action, some opinions suggested that it is necessary to study the application of temporary suspension of practice right during the time the lawyer is complaining about the disciplinary decision. Lawyer Ha Hai - Deputy Chairman of the Ho Chi Minh City Bar Association - analyzed that allowing lawyers who violate to continue practicing normally while waiting for the final complaint results may entail unwanted risks and consequences for society.
