Judicial reform is one of the essential requirements to build and improve the Socialist rule-of-law state in Vietnam. This has been confirmed in many documents issued by the Communist Party of Vietnam (CPV) since Doi Moi (1986). Vietnam has recorded important achievements in judicial reform. One of the most prominent is the amendment and supplementation of the criminal, civil, and judicial procedural legal systems on protecting justice, human rights, and civil rights. Despite this progress, the field also has some limitations as emphasized in the documents of the 13th Congress of the Communist Party of Vietnam. The goals for the 2021-2025 period focus on enhancing access to legal and judicial systems for individuals and businesses.

In this context, the EU Justice and Legal Empowerment Programme in Vietnam (EU JULE), funded by the European Union, has been implemented with the overall aim of strengthening the building of Socialist rule of law through a more reliable and accessible justice system. The Justice Initiative Facilitation Fund (JIFF) component, managed by Oxfam in Vietnam acting as a Secretariat, supports qualified organisations to implement activities to increase access to the law and justice for people at the grassroots level within the framework of JIFF initiatives.

In the process of implementing justice initiatives funded via JIFF, various useful lessons emerged for similar programmes and projects in the future. These can be divided into four main groups, as follows:

  • Develop a people-centred model, especially where vulnerable people are concerned;
  • Develop a multi-stakeholder model and promote community groups;
  • Cooperate and learn from experience to create a sustainable ecosystem;
  • Expand resources and improve the capacity of grantees.