Vietnam needs highly skilled lawyers to support int’l financial center: bar association official

Speaking to Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper, Nam emphasized that alongside legal reforms, human capital in the legal sector will play a decisive role in the success of the IFC in Ho Chi Minh City.

Authorities are currently finalizing detailed guidelines for the legal framework governing the IFC, aimed at ensuring transparency, reliability and alignment with international standards.

A key component of this framework is the Specialized Court Law for the IFC, passed in late 2025.

This law establishes a dedicated court system within the IFC, allowing foreign judges to serve, permitting the use of international commercial law alongside Vietnamese law, and introducing flexible procedures and electronic litigation.

Nam said the law creates a modern framework that ensures trust and protects investors’ rights.

He explained that international investors are most concerned about independent dispute resolution.

He emphasized that guiding documents must guarantee independence in court operations, from judge selection to rulings, and ensure judges are highly qualified with international reputations.

He argued that procedural rules should be based on global practices to reassure investors engaging in complex financial transactions.

He offered specific recommendations, including allowing judges to apply international rules of evidence, commercial contract principles, and model laws on e-commerce and arbitration.

He also called for protections to prevent rulings from being overturned simply because they differ from traditional Vietnamese law.

A selection council with clear criteria should appoint judges who are both legal and financial experts capable of handling high-value disputes.

Nam further suggested adopting international practices such as cost-shifting (requiring the losing party to pay legal fees), summary judgments, early dismissals, and expert hot-tubbing (allowing simultaneous examination of expert witnesses).

These measures, he said, would make proceedings faster and more efficient.

Beyond the court system, Nam stressed the importance of building a new generation of Vietnamese lawyers.

The Vietnam Bar Federation leader pledged to support training programs to develop lawyers fluent in foreign languages and skilled in international law, ensuring they can meet the demands of a specialized judicial environment.

“This is both a challenge and an opportunity for Vietnam’s legal profession to grow and integrate with global standards,” he said.