Innovating thinking in lawmaking in the digital age.

The First Lawmaking Forum, themed "Improving the legal system to meet the development requirements of the country in the new era," once again demonstrated the urgent need for innovation in legal thinking in the context of the country entering a comprehensive digital transformation phase. Here, experts, managers, and National Assembly deputies met at a common point: for the legal system to keep pace with development, it cannot continue to operate using traditional approaches.

Vietnam is undergoing a strong transformation towards a digital economy , digital data, and a governance model that extensively utilizes digital technology. The pace of technology adoption in production and business, public services, finance and banking, healthcare, education, and more has far exceeded previous expectations. Meanwhile, the legal system, which serves as the "railway" for the nation's operation, is under immense pressure: the volume of legal documents is increasingly massive, the speed of issuance is rapid, and the scope of regulation is more intertwined and complex than ever before.

The incompatibility between the speed of practice and traditional "lawmaking" methods has created numerous bottlenecks. Overlapping, contradictory, inconsistent, and uncoordinated regulations continue to be among the biggest challenges to the legal environment. This leads to many negative consequences: increased compliance costs, decreased business confidence, weakened forecasting capabilities, and difficulties in achieving the desired results in institutional reform efforts.

Looking at the reality, it's clear that amending individual laws and provisions in the traditional way only addresses the symptoms. The root cause lies in the mindset. When the legal system becomes a complex, interdisciplinary, and rapidly changing system, the "drafting of legal texts" approach is no longer sufficient. Vietnam needs to shift to a "design and governance of the legal system" mindset – a strategic, systemic, and evidence-based approach built on the in-depth application of data science .

However, the transformation of legislative thinking cannot stop at technology alone. More importantly, it requires changes in the way work is organized, analytical models, inter-sectoral coordination mechanisms, and the skills of the policymaking team. A digitized legal system requires good data, clear rules, standardized processes, and unified technical standards. This necessitates the early development of a national strategy for digital transformation in lawmaking.

Furthermore, Vietnam needs to establish a mechanism for regularly monitoring, reviewing, and evaluating laws after their promulgation, which has been a weak link in the policy cycle for many years. With data and technology, the review process will become more proactive, accurate, and scientifically grounded. This is the way to ensure that the legal system is not only enacted correctly but also operates correctly.

Besides internal reforms, a modern legal system must also ensure its ability to interact with citizens and businesses. The application of technology in receiving, analyzing, and responding to citizens' petitions not only enhances enforcement efficiency but also strengthens trust and accountability of the state. In many countries, digital platforms help citizens track the progress of petition resolution and easily access legal information, thereby reducing compliance costs and increasing accessibility.

Clearly, reforming the mindset of lawmaking in the digital age is not just an option, but an essential requirement for Vietnam to advance on the path of rapid, sustainable, and self-reliant development. And as many experts and National Assembly deputies have suggested: if we consider law as the key driving force of innovation, then it is time for a "revolution" in the way we design and manage our legal system—a revolution driven by data, technology, and modern thinking.

Source: https://daibieunhandan.vn/doi-moi-tu-duy-xay-dung-phap-luat-trong-ky-nguyen-so-10396744.html