On November 20, 2025, the Ministry of Justice organised a workshop to gather feedback on the Draft Submission Report and the Draft Resolution of the National Assembly regarding the pilot implementation of the public lawyer system in Ho Chi Minh City.
Participating in the workshop as an expert delegate, Mr. Dzung presented his views on the need to ensure the independence and foundational self-governance of the legal profession, especially for Public lawyers, a special group that is simultaneously regulated by laws governing legal practice and subject to the administrative framework applicable to civil servants. He also referred to the 10 International Principles on Conduct for the Legal Profession by the International Bar Association (IBA), including:
-
Independence
• Lawyers must maintain professional independence when advising or representing clients.
• Judgments and advice must remain impartial, free from personal interests or external pressures, ensuring objective protection for clients.
• Independence applies not only to individual lawyers but also to representative bodies (bars, bar associations), safeguarding them from unlawful external influence. -
Honesty, Integrity, and Fairness
• Lawyers must uphold the highest standards of honesty, integrity, and fairness toward clients, courts, colleagues, and all persons with whom they have professional relationships.
• Ensure equal opportunities and respect for diversity; avoid discrimination; refrain from exploiting vulnerable or financially disadvantaged individuals.
• Always act with integrity: lawyers must not misrepresent facts or law, and must correct themselves if they have spoken inaccurately. -
Conflicts of Interest
• Lawyers must not accept work if the client’s interests conflict with the lawyer’s own interests, those of their colleagues or firm, or those of other clients, unless permitted by law or professional rules and fully acknowledged by the client.
• If a conflict arises after the engagement begins, the lawyer should consider withdrawing or declining to continue, depending on national regulations. -
Confidentiality / Professional Secrecy
• Lawyers are obligated to keep confidential all information and documents related to current or former clients, unless disclosure is required by law or professional rules. -
Clients’ Interests
• In all circumstances, the legitimate interests of the client must be prioritized, provided they do not conflict with obligations to the court, the law, and justice. -
Lawyers’ Undertaking
• Lawyers must honor all commitments they have made regarding timelines, scope of work, communication with clients, and more—until completion or lawful release from those obligations. -
Clients’ Freedom
• Clients have the right to choose the lawyer they want. Lawyers also have the right to decline a case, provided no law or professional rule is violated. -
Property of Clients and Third Parties
• When handling property, documents, or other assets of clients or third parties, lawyers must keep them separate from their own property, and manage, store, and account for them honestly, transparently, promptly, and with due care. -
Competence
• Lawyers should accept only those matters they are competent to handle “competently and in a timely manner.” If they believe they cannot perform adequately, they should decline. -
Reasonable Fees
• Lawyers are entitled to receive appropriate fees for their work. However, fees must be “reasonable,” and lawyers must not exploit clients, overcharge, or create unnecessary work to increase fees.
It is hoped that, with the attention of competent authorities and the contributions of experts both at home and abroad, Vietnam will soon be able to successfully develop a Public Lawyer corps suited to the country’s practical needs and circumstances.
IBA International Principles on Conduct for the Legal Profession:
https://www.ibanet.org/document?id=-International-Principles-on-Conduct-for-the-Legal-Profession-2018&fbclid=IwY2xjawObHHJleHRuA2FlbQIxMABicmlkETFBS2RROGhSY2g3TTY5Z1l0c3J0YwZhcHBfaWQQMjIyMDM5MTc4ODIwMDg5MgABHkyri1YYQdh2Xdul6n0qgu6VqOlUQBtHxCQwLV37zpxtvHVTI71yVWhQtPxM_aem_pxGVpVDje-OIrJrLR23bRw
