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| Chief Justice of the Supreme People's Court of Vietnam | |
|---|---|
| Post | Chief Justice of the Supreme People's Court of Vietnam |
| Native name | Chánh án Tòa án Nhân dân Tối cao |
| Incumbent | Trương Hòa Bình |
| Incumbentsince | 2021 |
| Appointer | National Assembly |
| Termlength | 5 years |
| Formation | 1945 |
| Inaugural | Đặng Văn Khuê |
Chief Justice of the Supreme People's Court of Vietnam. The Chief Justice presides over the Supreme People's Court of Vietnam, serves as the head of the highest judicial organ in the Socialist Republic of Vietnam, and represents the judiciary in relations with the Communist Party of Vietnam, the National Assembly of Vietnam, the President of Vietnam, and the Government of Vietnam. The office combines administrative leadership, adjudicative oversight, and participation in high-level legal and political processes involving institutions such as the Ministry of Public Security, the Supreme People's Procuracy of Vietnam, the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Vietnam, and provincial People's Courts.
The Chief Justice directs judicial panels within the Supreme People's Court of Vietnam and supervises judges across People's Courts at all levels, coordinating with the Supreme People's Procuracy and agencies like the Ministry of Justice (Vietnam), the Ministry of Public Security (Vietnam), the Ministry of National Defence (Vietnam), and the People's Council structures. The Chief Justice chairs plenary sessions, assigns cases to chambers such as the Civil Chamber of the Supreme People's Court, the Criminal Chamber of the Supreme People's Court, and the Administrative Chamber of the Supreme People's Court, and signs judgments, cassation decisions, and guidelines for uniform application of laws including the 2015 Civil Code of Vietnam, the 2015 Criminal Procedure Code (Vietnam), and subsequent amendments. In interactions with bodies like the Central Judicial Council, the Supreme People's Court leadership issues circulars and directives that affect District People's Court and Provincial People's Court practice, while representing the court in international fora such as meetings with counterparts from the Supreme People's Court of China, the Constitutional Court of Spain, the Federal Supreme Court of Switzerland, and the European Court of Human Rights delegations.
The Chief Justice is nominated and elected by the National Assembly of Vietnam upon recommendation by the President of Vietnam and after consultation with the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Vietnam and the Judicial Council. The appointee is typically a member of the Communist Party of Vietnam and often has previously served in positions within the Ministry of Justice (Vietnam), provincial People's Courts, or the Supreme People's Procuracy of Vietnam. The constitutional term aligns with the National Assembly tenure, customarily five years, with possibilities for reappointment subject to National Assembly confirmation and party endorsement; predecessors have included figures who served through multiple terms during eras under leaders like Ho Chi Minh, Lê Duẩn, Nguyễn Văn Linh, Nông Đức Mạnh, Nguyễn Phú Trọng, and Trần Đại Quang.
Established after the August Revolution and the proclamation of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam in 1945, the office evolved through periods marked by the First Indochina War, the Vietnam War, reunification following the Fall of Saigon (1975), and the Đổi Mới reforms beginning in 1986 initiated by leaders such as Nguyễn Văn Linh and Đỗ Mười. Under successive legal codes and constitutional texts—most notably the 1959 Constitution of Vietnam, the 1980 Constitution of Vietnam, the 1992 Constitution of Vietnam, and the 2013 Constitution of Vietnam—the Chief Justice's role expanded from revolutionary justice administration to modern judicial management, adapting to reforms in civil procedure, criminal procedure, and administrative adjudication shaped by interactions with international institutions like the World Bank, the Asian Development Bank, and the United Nations Development Programme.
Notable holders have included early jurists and revolutionary cadres who presided over the People's Courts during turbulent periods, mid‑20th century figures who implemented post‑war legal consolidation, and contemporary jurists who led modernization and anti‑corruption initiatives endorsed by the Politburo of the Communist Party of Vietnam. Prominent names associated with the office include those who served under presidencies of Tôn Đức Thắng, Trường Chinh, Lê Đức Anh, Trần Đức Lương, and Nguyễn Minh Triết, as well as Chief Justices who worked closely with prosecutors such as Nguyễn Hòa Bình and officials from the Ministry of Public Security like Trần Đại Quang. The list reflects appointments ratified by the National Assembly across successive legislative sessions.
The Chief Justice maintains institutional links with the Supreme People's Procuracy of Vietnam for coordination on appeals and cassation, consults with the Ministry of Justice (Vietnam) on legal drafting, and participates in interagency bodies involving the People's Police, the Ministry of Public Security (Vietnam), and the Office of the President of Vietnam. Interaction occurs with regional counterparts in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations through contacts with the ASEAN Law Ministers Meeting, and with international judiciaries including the Supreme Court of the United States in comparative exchanges. Within the party‑state system, the Chief Justice interfaces with the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Vietnam and the Politburo on legal policy and implementation.
Chief Justices have overseen reforms such as introduction of the current Civil Code of Vietnam, procedural reforms influenced by donor projects from the Asian Development Bank and USAID technical assistance, and implementation of anti‑corruption campaigns associated with leaders like Nguyễn Phú Trọng. Controversies have arisen involving judicial independence debates engaging scholars from Hanoi Law University, critics within the Vietnamese Bar Federation, and civil society organizations dealing with cases publicized by international NGOs such as Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International, and have sparked exchanges with diplomatic missions including Embassy of the United States, Hanoi and the European Union Delegation to Vietnam.
The Chief Justice uses symbols including the national Emblem of Vietnam and the judicial insignia used by the Supreme People's Court of Vietnam, and occupies an official office within the Supreme People's Court building in Hanoi. Official protocol involves ceremonies attended by representatives of the National Assembly of Vietnam, the President of Vietnam, the Government of Vietnam, foreign delegations from courts like the Supreme Court of the Russian Federation and the Supreme People's Court of China, and domestic institutions such as the Vietnam Fatherland Front and provincial People's Committees.
Category:Judiciary of Vietnam Category:Vietnamese government officials