Vietnam’s government has proposed abolishing the death penalty for six offences, potentially reducing the number of capital crimes under the country’s Penal Code from 10 to four.
The proposal was presented to the National Assembly as lawmakers began discussing three draft laws covering revisions to the Penal Code, Criminal Procedure Code and Law on the Organisation of Criminal Investigation Agencies.
Under the proposed amendments, the death penalty would be removed for rebellion, rape of persons under 16, illegal drug trafficking, crimes against humanity, war crimes and terrorism aimed at opposing the people’s administration, which is expected to be incorporated into the broader offence of terrorism.
The death penalty would remain for four offences — treason, murder, terrorism and illegal drug production.
The government said the proposed changes were intended to reflect the Communist Party’s policy, align Vietnam’s criminal legislation with international trends and strengthen the country’s position in international judicial cooperation, including extradition and mutual legal assistance.
The revised Penal Code would also broadly double existing fines and monetary thresholds used to determine criminal offences and sentencing levels. The changes take into account factors including inflation, wages, incomes, GDP per capita and broader socio-economic developments.
The draft further proposes expanding circumstances in which criminal liability could be excluded, particularly in areas involving research, testing and the application of new technologies.
Similar protections would apply to controlled trials involving new technologies, processes, solutions, products, services and business models related to technological development and innovation.
The proposals would also cover certain defence and security operations, as well as crime prevention and enforcement activities carried out by the armed forces.
Another major change would allow criminal proceedings to be postponed under specific circumstances, giving offenders an opportunity to remedy the consequences of their actions.
Under the proposed framework, offenders could be exempted from criminal liability if their prosecution had been postponed and they subsequently fully remedied the consequences while generating economic, social, defence or security benefits.
Criminal liability could also be waived during the processing of crime reports and denunciations if legal grounds for exemption existed. The government said this would help avoid unnecessary procedures while promoting a more humane criminal justice system.
The draft legislation also proposes nine new criminal offences covering areas such as economic management, cybersecurity, high technology, environmental protection, public safety and the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction.
New forms of criminal conduct would also be added to existing offences, particularly those involving information technology, telecommunications networks, the economy, trade and intellectual property.
The government said the amendments were aimed at closing loopholes in criminal legislation, preventing offenders from escaping punishment and strengthening crime prevention as Vietnam deepens international integration.
During the same morning session, the National Assembly also debated a proposed National Target Programme for cultural and socio-economic development, rural development and ethnic minority and mountainous areas for 2026-2035.
The programme would consolidate four existing national target programmes into a single initiative.
