In Vietnam history, there have been many wars and often heroes are honored as generals to fight invaders.
So in peacetime right now there is a hero and can a lawyer be considered hero?
Bravery
Recently, I and my fellow lawyers have been copying copies of Dong Tam case files after getting the court’s permission. At this point, the lawyers will print out to research and make defenses for the defendants at the trial.
When being invited to participating in this case, the lawyers always keep in mind the law to protect the accused and consider it as a way to preserve the interests of the community, because we understand that justice cannot be enforced by violating the law.
Through cases of public interest, our lawyers strive to promote the establishment of a legal working attitude at state agencies and departments, and promote the rule of law in a legal sunken area with many violations.
At present, lawyers are still prevented from meeting and working with the accused.
In a case of public concern and a clear violation of the law, it shows that there are state officials who no longer care about people’s thoughts.
It is true that Vietnam’s state agencies tend to abuse their powere and violate laws so people and lawyers have to work to fight in order to force them to respect the laws built by the regime.
There have been a number of sensitive cases for a long time now that the judicial authorities seem to allow themselves to violate the laws and allow themselves to not to respect the laws.
I remembered the story in the movie “The Negotiator” in which a lawyer pleaded for an accused of a Soviet agent and arrested by the US. US security personnel found the lawyer and asked the lawyer to provide information that the accused told the lawyer.
The security guards said, “I know that you- lawyers have the principle of keeping clients confidential and such, but this is a national security issue so there is no rule here.”
The lawyer asked the agent “Are you from the German origin, right? And I’m of Iceland descent. So what makes the two of us Americans? Because we have a set of laws called the Constitution, and we have laws called Human Rights. So don’t tell me there’s no rule here.”
This shows that the psychology of wanting to go beyond the legal framework has been a cognitive inertia of law enforcement people. And a safe legal life, fair treatment, rule of law, is an effort to promote the construction of all people, including defense lawyers and even filmmakers.
In Vietnam today, there are not many people who want to participate in defense of sensitive cases.
In the future, the next generations, when they have benefited from a legal framework to ensure personal safety, when the community is entitled to a rule of law society, it is partly motivated by those courageous lawyers who involve in sensitive criminal cases today.
Making merits
Heroes, or to be exact, those who set up great merits, nowadays are the lawyers who promote success in establishing a state-of-the-art scientific state.
In a narrow range, it will help improve the living environment for tens of thousands of people, and broader, create a safe and friendly legal environment for millions of people in pursuit of happiness. Doing that is up to the great merits.
The lawyers often apply the legal documents and witness the actual implementation of the regulations, which makes them see the proper reasoning that the law should follow.
Laws that affect the entire people, an inadequate legal regulation will cause great harm to people and businesses, so lawyers have the advantage in bringing vast benefits to the public through his daily affairs with legal policy documents.
Recently, lawyers have just sent a petition to state leaders asking for investment in installing electric fans to cool cells. The petition comes from the hot weather conditions during summer in Vietnam and through the reflection of detained clients.
When the petition is accepted, it will help improve the lives of hundreds of thousands of people in detention each year. That is the merit that lawyers can bring to the community.
Talent
Many people see the actions of lawyers as recommendations that are random in nature, thereby failing to properly appreciate the contributions and the role of lawyers.
To write a proposal needs a bit of knowledge, gives some valid reasons, takes a little enthusiasm to take time to make, needs a bit of confidence to invite colleagues to join.
The petitioner also needs to be aware of his / her rights, have faith in the correctness and efficiency of the job, and calmly answer questions, a little bit of organization and facilities to synthesize. Print list and mail.
In fact, not many people meet those conditions. Some don’t have time, other cannot due to their jobs, the third are not enthusiastic enough. So in fact, we rarely see the recommendations even though the social life is abundant and there are many problems.
On the other hand, petitioning means pointing out the right things to do, that is, saying words of ethics, requiring the speaker to be competent, ethically and professionally competent.
So the petition is not like a random thing done by anyone, but it needs to realize behind there are specific elements. Jobs can only be done by the right people, for example in petitioning to improve the detention environment by installing electric fans to cool the cells.
So it should be seen that, today, the great public builders worthy of the ancient hero, may simply be the lawyers who promote judicial reform, promote the adjustment of the state apparatus and promoting the rule of law. They are deserved to be honored by the society.
Thoibao.de (Translated)
Vietnamese Source: https://www.bbc.com/vietnamese/forum-53518172
