The first six precedents announced in a decision issued in April by the then-chief justice of the Supreme People’s Court of Vietnam will come into effect next month.

Former Chief Justice of the Supreme People’s Court of Vietnam (SPCV) Truong Hoa Binh made a decision on April 6 that the first six precedents approved by the Council of Justices to be adopted by courts of all levels in the country will started to be applied on June 1, 2016.

The six precedents are all previous cassation decisions by the Supreme Court, one of which deals with criminal cases and five with civil ones.

Each precedent is numbered, tagged, and summarized for convenience, and cites the source and relevant laws used in the decision.

According to SPCV, judges and tribunals are required to study and apply these precedents in dealing with similar cases to make sure that those with the same legal events and details are handled consistently.

With the adoption of coherent precedents, Vietnam aims to crack down on wrongful convictions and corruption, while guaranteeing openness and transparency in its legal system.

According to Chu Thanh Quang, general director at the Department of Legal Affairs and Scientific Research Management under SPCV, the application of precedents are obligatory in making judicial decisions.

“If one fails to prove that a case does not resemble a given precedent, then the precedent must be applied. Any failure to do so will result in the decision being annulled by a higher-level court. This obligation is not to interfere with the judge’s subjective will, but to guarantee that decisions are legally binding,” Quang said.

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