Farmers obtain legal knowledge and a better understanding of anti-corruption
September 17 2015, Advocacy and Legal Assistance Centre (ALAC) provided a mobile consultancy and legal assistance to local citizens in Dong Phuong Yen commune, Chuong My district, Hanoi.
On this occasion, ALAC lawyers gave advice, responded to questions and had conversations with local people and authority representatives. This has enhanced ALAC lawyers’ belief that the Centre needs to provide people with information and legal knowledge in every activity.
Lawyers respond to people’s questions
Dong Phuong Yen is a commune of Chuong My district which had formerly belonged to Ha Tay province before the whole province was merged into Hanoi. Therefore, local people have been coping with various difficulties in dealing with administrative procedures related to land service, such as: changing land-use purpose, paying land-use tax, dividing inherited possessions related to land-use rights, getting permits for land-use rights and obtaining transparency.
Participants attending the meeting, of whom many were farmers, got advice from the lawyers for simple cases. For more complicated cases, the lawyers received and filed information for further consideration after the meeting, in order to suggest appropriate solutions.
ALAC – a new place for people seeking for free legal assistance
Nguyen Phu Thang, representative of VIJUSAP, introduced ALAC – an efficient anti-corruption model developed by Transparency International.
ALAC in Vietnam is a collaboration between TT and VIJUSAP. It provides free legal services to the poor, disadvantaged and victims and witnesses of corruption. ALAC also does research and advocacy and recommends modifications and supplements to laws to contribute to efficient implementation of anti-corruption policies.
Local citizens expressed interest in ALAC’s free services and local leaders showed endorsement and willingness to collaborate with ALAC in future.
Informing local citizens about anti-corruption progress in Vietnam
Lawyer and ALAC Director, Nguyen Van Hoang, shared basic information about anti-corruption work in Vietnam over recent years, helping people and local government officials to have a better understanding of gaps and challenges in the fight against corruption.
Hoang also introduced anti-corruption related laws and policies and raised several draft recommendations for a comprehensive anti-corruption legal framework for participants to discuss.
Participants were also briefly introduced to the Anti-corruption Law, particularly regulations on rights and responsibilities of citizens. After that, lawyers answered people’s questions.
Learning more about United Nations Convention against Corruption (UNCAC)
Lawyer Nguyen Dang Thai of ALAC helped people have an overview of UNCAC by selecting a number of topics and presenting them through practical examples.
Upon hearing this session, local people proactively shared examples of corrupt acts that they had seen in their daily life and their concerns about morality and the integrity of the individuals in each case.