Vietnam - June 2025

On 25 June, Vietnam’s National Assembly passed an amendment to its Criminal Code that abolishes the death penalty for eight offences, including embezzlement, espionage and trafficking narcotics. The reform will take effect on 1 July and individuals who previously received death sentences will have their sentences converted to life imprisonment. However, the death penalty will remain in place for 10 other criminal offences, including murder, treason and terrorism. Human rights experts have welcomed the landmark legislation but continue to urge the government to abolish the death penalty completely. Although the country does not disclose how many people are awaiting execution, internal prosecutor reports indicate that thousands have been sentenced and hundreds executed in recent years. 

Sources: Devdiscourse, Al Jazeera, The New York Times, Vietnam News Agency

On 12 June, Vietnam’s National Assembly approved a resolution to eliminate district-level administrations and reduce the local government from three to two layers–provincial and communal. The planned administrative reforms take effect on 1 July and will also see the number of provinces and city administrations reduced from 63 to 34. The overhaul is part of the Communist Party of Vietnam’s (CPV) General Secretary Tô Lâm’s broader efforts to improve the country’s political system and economic efficiency through eliminating bureaucratic overlaps and enhancing public service delivery. Political analysts remain cautiously optimistic about the reforms, which may serve to tighten oversight, reduce petty corruption and improve service delivery to citizens. Conversely, they also acknowledge that the reforms may consolidate CPV’s centralized control. Moreover, legal experts note that while the changes may create a more predictable and transparent legal environment, gaps remain in defining jurisdiction boundaries and transferring enforcement mechanisms.

Sources: Constitutionnet, The Diplomat, Deutsch Welle, ISEAS Yusof Ishak Institute, Tuoi Tre