The effectiveness of law discussion in parliament

Recently, after each discussion session at the National Assembly, there are often heated debates in the press and on social networks.

View of the meeting - Photo: Quochoi.vn

Many issues from the parliament are discussed in the press, and there are also opinions from the parliament that are commented on and discussed by the people, right or wrong.

Those discussions are of public interest, which also raises a seemingly old but fundamental question: How to effectively discuss laws in parliament?

Laws are born to deal with a real problem of life: an inadequacy that is making people suffer, a social risk that can no longer be ignored, or a bottleneck that is hindering development.

So the discussion in the National Assembly is first of all to clarify: What is the core problem that the bill wants to solve? How serious is it? Is it really necessary to use legal tools or just need to improve implementation, process or decree?

When the problem is clearly defined, legislative discussions have a foothold. Conversely, if the problem is vague, the more the law is discussed, the more likely it is to be far from reality.

No policy is “neutral,” affecting no one. In every area from cybersecurity and personal data to e-commerce and urban development, there are choices: Freedom or control? Innovation or safety? Prioritizing one group or another?

Therefore, the National Assembly must discuss carefully: Does the policy in the bill solve the problem? Who will benefit, who will be affected? Are the public benefits greater than the social costs? Is the impact assessment report reliable and complete? Are there better policy options?

This is the political -representative nature of the National Assembly: choosing for the common good, not just for the convenience of state management.

A law does not simply create new rules; more importantly, it defines what the State is allowed to do and what it is not allowed to do.

Discussion in the parliament therefore needs to clarify: Which rights of people and businesses must be absolutely guaranteed?

In what cases and to what extent can the State limit that power? How are checks and balances designed to prevent abuse? How can transparency and accountability be made mandatory in operation?

When Congress establishes these principles, laws are durable and people are truly protected.

In recent times, discussions have strayed into specific details simply because the boundary between the legislative and executive branches is not yet clear. Experience from other countries shows that the following natural division is most reasonable:

The National Assembly decides on goals, principles, major policies, and limits of power; the Government designs technical specifications such as standards, specifications, procedures, forms, etc. based on data, operational expertise, and the ability to update reality.

The reason why the technical regulations must be decided by the Government is because technical regulations are objective and cannot be voted on by majority vote.

A safety standard, a data storage requirement or an environmental parameter... are all based on science and technology, infrastructure capacity, measurable costs and benefits, international standards and the ability of the apparatus to implement.

A good law is meaningless if it cannot be enforced. Therefore, delegates must discuss to clarify: Does the apparatus have the capacity to enforce it? Does the law impose an excessive burden on people and businesses? Is there a clear mechanism for accountability and supervision?

Parliament is not only a place to make laws but also a place to ensure that laws are applied properly in life.

The purpose of legislative debate in parliament is to solve major problems, choose optimal policies, define the limits of power and ensure that the law is enforceable. It is not to debate every word, nor to delve into technical details that belong to science and expertise.

When the National Assembly discusses at the right level, the law will be clearer and more effective. And most importantly: people will be better protected, businesses will have more energy to develop, and the country will progress faster and further.

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NGUYEN SI DUNG

Source: https://tuoitre.vn/hieu-qua-thao-luan-luat-o-nghi-truong-20251202084154465.htm