Support to the Vietnam Bar Federation
BACKGROUND
In December 2009 the CBA was awarded a contract by the Danish Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Danida) to provide long term technical assistance to the newly established Vietnam Bar Federation (VBF) to support the development and implementation of a framework that facilitates the empowerment of lawyers in Vietnam. The project will be for 3-4 years.
CURRENT STATUS
- Since March 2010, the CBA has been working with the VBF to create and put in place norms and structures for self management and the regulation of the legal profession, to assert itself as an articulator of professional common interests and views and to organize professional training for aspiring and already active lawyers.
- After the Inception Mission to Vietnam in March-/April 2010, the CBA team in conjunction with its Vietnamese partners developed a start-up work plan for the VBF. The work plan led to a Strategic Planning workshop in September 2010 with the participation of five Canadian experts. In preparation for the Strategic Planning Workshop, the VBF conducted a needs assessment of its members and also consulted other agencies and stakeholders. The information was used to establish the VBF long term strategic objectives and the three year implementation framework adopted by the Steering Committee in October 2010.
- Norms and structures for self-management and regulation of legal profession:
⇒The development of the VBF website was undertaken with the technical support of the CBA Information and Technologies Director.
⇒ Governance and Communications Workshop held in May 2011 with participation of the CBA Senior Director Communications and former CBA Senior Director Finance and Administration. As a result of this workshop the VBF developed its communications strategy.
⇒ The VBF finalized an approved a national Code of conduct in 2011 and is currently delivering initial trainings to lawyers on the Code.
⇒ A Workshop to develop a Finance and Economic Development Strategy for the VBF was held in June 2012 facilitated by the CBA's CEO and a Governance Workshop was held in July 2012 to further support development of VBF's governance structures.
⇒ In August 2012, a VBF delegation attended the CBA CLC in Vancouver and studied the organization and regulation of the legal profession and the legal system of Canada.
- VBF as articulator of professional common interests and views:
⇒ The VBF made submissions on the draft Civil Procedure Code and several of the recommendations were taken into consideration in the final version of the legislation.
⇒ The VBF is developing recommentations on the criminal procedure code and in March 2012 held workshop on comparative approaches to criminal procedure with experts on Chinese, German, Japanese and Russian law jointly funded by various donors.
⇒ The VBF delivered submissions on the proposed revisions to the Law on Lawyers in 2012.
- Professional training for lawyers:
⇒ The VBF hosted a Regional Workshop on Developing Continuing Legal Education Programs for Lawyers with the Bar Association of the Kingdom of Cambodia and the Lao Bar Association, facilitated by three Canadian experts, including the CBA Director of Professional Development, in July 2011 jointly funded by CBA’s CIDA Partnership Program. Since this workshop the VBF have delivered a number of CLE courses.
⇒ A career orientation roundtable was held at Ho Chi Minh City University inOctober 2011 with a panel of 8 senior lawyers (3 women, 5 men). Over 300 students attended.
⇒ A mock criminal trial with students and career orientation roundtable was held at Hanoi University of Law in November 2011 with the participation of a panel of 8 senior lawyers (2 women, 6 men) and a representative from the Ministry of Justice. Approximately 500 students attended.
⇒ A Train the Trainer workshop was held in April 2012 facilitated by a Canadian expert.
⇒ The VBF has delivered various CLE courses with support of the projet.
|
|
Program Update
January 2011: 1st annual workplan and budget to implement the VBF Strategic Plan.
May 2011: Governance and Communications Workshop.
Submissions on the draft civil Procedure Code.
July 2011: Regional Workshop on Developing Continuing Legal Education Programs for Lawyers.
April 2012: Train the Trainer Workshop
August 2012: Study Tour to Canada
VBF finalized and approved a national Code of Conduct.
|
|
