The new legal documents are the Vietnam Maritime Law, the Law on Price, the Law on Judicial Assessment, the Law on Legal Dissemination and Education, the Law on Advertising, the Law on Water Resources, and the Law on Handling of Administrative Violations.

The first six laws will come into effect since January 1, 2013 while the Law on Handling of Administrative Violations is scheduled to take effect since July 1, 2013.

The Law on Price, with five chapters and 48 articles, stipulates that State organs, organizations and individuals engaging in business activities shall have to publicize prices in a bid to increase transparency of the market.

The Law on Judicial Assessment has eight chapters and 46 articles. It allows interested parties to actively collect evidences to protect their own legitimate interests.

With 12 chapters and 142 articles, the Law on Handling Administrative Violations has many human provisions.

The Law on Advertising comprises of five chapters and 43 articles. It clearly stipulates types of goods and services subjected to advertising ban.

The Law on Water Resources (amended) was designed to uphold responsibility and information transparency.

The Vietnam Maritime Law having seven chapters and 55 articles stipulates the country’s baseline, internal waters, territorial sea, contiguous zone, exclusive economic zone, continental shelf, islands, Hoang Sa and Truong Sa and other archipelagos under Vietnam’s sovereignty and jurisdiction.

 It also stipulates activities within Vietnam’s sea, marine economic development, management and protection of islands and sea.

The Law reflects Vietnam’s consistent policy of solving sea-related issues with neighboring countries through peaceful measures, in line with the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea.

<source VGP>