Lawmakers approved the draft revised Penal Code and the Criminal Procedure Code (amended) during their working session in Hanoi on November 27 - the last day of the tenth session of the 13th National Assembly.

The draft revised Penal Code, which sailed through the National Assembly with 84.01 percent of the vote, will come into force on July 1, 2016.

The revised Penal Code aims to protect national sovereignty and security, socialism, human right, citizens’ right, the right to equality among ethnic minority groups, interests of the State and organisations, and legal order.

New contents such as the criminal liability of legal entities and the scope of legal entities’ criminal liability make up the amended code.

The National Assembly Standing Committee held that the supplements are essential to meet the requirements of crime prevention and combat in the new situation, especially violations of economy and environment-related laws.

The majority of people and NA deputies showed their approval for the supplements, the committee said.

The code prescribes that death penalty is not imposed on under-18 offenders, pregnant women and women who are nursing children under 36 months or those who are more than 75 years old when they commit a crime or are put into trial.

Death penalty will be removed for those who are charged with embezzlement and corruption but proactively hand back three quarters of the embezzled assets, the code says.

At the session, 87.04 percent of the deputies voted for the draft resolution on the execution of the revised Penal Code.

Meanwhile, the Criminal Procedure Code (amended) was adopted by the National Assembly with 85.63 of the vote.

Comprising of eight parts, 37 chapters and 510 articles, the code’s objective is to ensure the prompt and fair treatment of crimes.

It prescribes criminal proceedings, tasks and rights of competent agencies and individuals, rights and obligations of those getting involved in the process, and international cooperation in criminal procedure.

The code requires sound and image recordings when interrogations take place to ensure transparency and protect citizens’ rights in line with the Constitution.

The legal document will take effect on July 1, 2016 to replace the Criminal Procedure Code issued in 2003.

The resolution on the execution of the Criminal Procedure Code won the approval of the majority of the NA deputies.

Promulgation of information access law essential

A majority of deputies agreed on the necessity of promulgating the Law on Access to Information at a debate during the 10th session of the 13 th National Assembly in Hanoi on November 27.

The issuance of the law is to actualise the country’s Constitution on citizens’ right to information access, in line with the 1948 Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the 1966 International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights to which Vietnam is a member.

The law will help people exercise their right of mastery, thus improving the transparency of policies and State management.

To make the law feasible, it is necessary to clarify issues on published information; information providers; and procedures to implement the right to information access, lawmakers suggested.

Deputy Nguyen Lam Thanh from the northern province of Lang Son said the right to information access means the right to exercise democracy, build a rule-of-law state and join socio-economic development activities.

Deputy Do Ngoc Nien from the central province of Binh Thuan proposed devising additional basic regulations on the state secrets and undisclosed documents to facilitate public access to information.

He said citizens have the right to know information regarding human rights and their fundamental interests.

Lawmakers also discussed those having the right to information access and responsible of providing information, and settlement of incorrect information.

At the working session, NA deputies adopted a draft resolution on preventing and fighting law violations and crimes. They also scrutinised activities of People’s Procuracies and People’s Courts as well as law enforcement in 2016.

The 13th National Assembly is set to discuss the revised Law on Pharmacy and wind up its 10th session on the same day.

VNA