Deputy Le Thi Nga, Vice chairwoman of the NA's Justice Committee emphasised that the law should ensure the right to silence for suspects as they need time to keep calm and obtain legal aid to avoid self-incrimination.

Nga affirmed that the right to self-defence is actually an important part of the right to counsel and the enforcement of this right will help minimise injustices.

She noted that the use of measures, including force to compel a suspect to make a false confession and using it as evidence in court, is the reason for many unjust judgements including the Nguyen Thanh Chan case.

Deputy Vu Xuan Truong from Nam Dinh shared the same view as Nga, adding that the Code should allow for early and sincere confessions to be considered for a reduced sentence to prevent the abuse of the right to silence.

Deputy Pham Huy Hung from Hanoi emphasised that the defence is a crucial factor to ensure the transparency and equality of the proceedings, proposing the Code stipulate that the accused have the right to remain silent until a defence counsel can participate in the proceedings.

Many deputies also backed the provision requiring recording and video recording during the interrogations to ensure objectivity and prevent torture and extortion.