Comprehensive reform of legal aid: Increasing decentralization to localities

(Chinhphu.vn) - Legal aid policy is entering a period of comprehensive innovation, associated with the two-tier local government model. Many tasks are decentralized to localities, expanding access to law for people.

Consulting people on legal matters. Photo: VGP/DA

Improve efficiency and initiative for localities

From July 1, 2025, legal aid activities will officially be implemented under a new mechanism, in which many tasks and powers have been strongly decentralized to localities. Previously, most legal aid activities were organized centrally at the central level, but now 3 important groups of tasks have been transferred to the provincial People's Committees.

In particular, the organization of appraisal and assessment of the quality of legal aid cases is decentralized to the provincial People's Committee, with the Department of Justice assisting in implementation according to Article 6 of Circular 09/2025/TT-BTP. This clearly demonstrates confidence in the capacity of local authorities in ensuring the quality of legal aid services, while helping to reduce the burden on central agencies.

In addition, the activity of confirming successful legal aid cases participating in litigation will also be transferred from the Department of Legal Dissemination, Education and Legal Aid to the Department of Justice for implementation, according to Circular No. 11/2025/TT-BTP dated June 24, 2025. This change ensures shortening of procedural processes, increasing flexibility and timeliness in recording the effectiveness of case implementation.

In addition, the issuance of legal aid officer and collaborator card blanks is also assigned to the Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee, with the advice of the Department of Justice. Printing is carried out according to the form issued by the Ministry of Justice in Circular No. 08/2017/TT-BTP. From here, localities can be more proactive in organizing and managing personnel in the legal aid system.

These changes are not just technical adjustments, but are strategic steps in enhancing local capacity, responsibility and autonomy - important factors in the process of implementing two-level local government.

Dr. Le Ve Quoc, Director of the Department of Legal Dissemination, Education and Legal Aid (Ministry of Justice) emphasized that innovating legal aid associated with the two-level model is an "urgent requirement" for policies to truly reach each citizen, through a streamlined management system and strong application of digital technology .

Towards full online public services

One of the highlights in the administrative reform is the reorganization of provincial-level administrative units, reducing from 63 to 34 provinces/cities from July 1, 2025. The merger of 2-3 previous provinces into a new province not only changes administrative boundaries, but also strongly impacts the organizational model of public service units, including the State Legal Aid Center and its branches.

According to the provisions of the Law on Legal Aid, the Legal Aid Center is a public service unit under the Department of Justice, established by the Provincial People's Committee. As the administrative area expands, the population increases, and natural conditions, traffic, and population are diversified, the requirement of "being close to the people" in legal aid activities becomes more urgent.

In that context, the Ministry of Justice promptly issued Official Dispatch No. 1866/BTP-PLHSHC dated April 9, 2025 to guide the People's Committees of provinces and cities to organize a legal aid system suitable to local practical conditions.

Accordingly, the provincial People's Committee shall base on the need for legal aid and practical conditions of the locality to decide on the number of State Legal Aid Centers and their Branches. This is considered an important move to enhance the initiative and autonomy of local authorities in organizing legal aid work at the local level.

According to Mr. Le Ve Quoc, in the trend of administrative reform, the legal aid sector is not outside the digital flow. The Department of Dissemination, Legal Education and Legal Aid has closely coordinated with relevant units to simplify administrative procedures, while promoting the provision of online public services regardless of administrative boundaries.

Up to now, 12 administrative procedures in the field of legal aid have been made public on the National Public Service Portal. Specifically, procedures for requesting legal aid; procedures for changing legal aid providers; procedures for handling complaints; procedures for granting and re-granting collaborator cards; procedures for selecting and signing contracts with lawyers or law practice organizations; registration for participation and termination of participation in legal aid, etc.

In the coming time, the Department of Legal Dissemination, Education and Legal Aid will carry out all procedures online, meaning that people can submit documents, monitor processing and receive results entirely online, without having to go directly to administrative agencies.

However, to achieve this, we need to have a synchronous technical infrastructure, ensure connectivity between agencies and organizations and, importantly, need the participation of the entire political system.

Dieu Anh

Source: https://baochinhphu.vn/doi-moi-toan-dien-tro-giup-phap-ly-tang-cuong-phan-cap-cho-dia-phuong-102250818132526559.htm