VIETNAM NATIONAL UNIVERSITY HCMC

INTERNATIONAL UNIVERSITY

COURSE SYLLABUS
INTRODUCTION TO VIETNAMESE LEGAL SYSTEM
BA167IU

1. General information

Department Office of Academic Affairs

Course classification Foundation course
Course designation Face to face
Semester(s) in which All semesters in each academic year
the course is taught
Person responsible Dr. Vo Tuong Huan
for the course LLM. Bui Doan Danh Thao
Language English
Relation to Compulsory
curriculum
Teaching methods Student-centred approach
Workload (incl. (Estimated) Total workload: 60
contact hours, self- Contact hours (lecture, in class discussions): 45 hours
study hours)
Private study including examination preparation, specified in hours 1: 15
Credit points 3
Required and N/A
recommended
prerequisites for
joining the course

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When calculating contact time, each contact hour is counted as a full hour because the organisation of the
schedule, moving from room to room, and individual questions to lecturers after the class, all mean that about 60
minutes should be counted.
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Course objectives The overarching aims of this course are to:
 Provide essential knowledge of Vietnamese legal system through
integrated technology and real cases for social and cultural sustainability.
 Raise awareness of responsibility toward others and how to stand for
ending all types of legal violations, especially corruption in various social
contexts.
 Practice necessary skills to act as an ambassador to ensure social
fairness and global equitable rights.
 Use integrated online legal resources and communication tools to help
the community to identify issues and develop countermeasures.

Course learning Upon the successful completion of this course, students will be able to:
outcomes Competency Course learning outcome (CLO)
level
Knowledge CLO1. Apply appropriate legal knowledge in the
Vietnamese legal system to solve legal issues in various
social contexts for a fair sustainable lifelong being.
CLO1.1. Apply general knowledge on state and law
to solve legal issues in various social contexts for a fair
sustainable lifelong being.
CLO1.2. Apply principle legal norms in some law
branches such as constitution, civil, criminal, labor and
administrative law to solve legal issues in various social
contexts for a fair sustainable lifelong being.
Skill CLO2. Communicate knowledge in the Vietnamese legal
system to encourage people to raise their legal rights
aiming for fair social/cultural moves.
CLO3. Integrate ICTs to solve legal issues in various
social contexts.
Attitude CLO4. Detect the responsibility to ensure social and
cultural fairness, including ending corruption, in
various social contexts through understanding
importance of law in social contexts.
CLO5. Respond to the base for coexistence in various
social contexts.

Content The course will introduce students to Vietnamese legal systems. In particular,
students will understand their rights and obligations in the Constitution,
Criminal law, administrative law, civil law, labor law and enterprise law of
Vietnam. From this, students will raise awareness towards their responsibility to
ensure justice, including ending corruption, in society.

Examination forms Multiple choice questions

Case-based exams
Essay exams
Oral exams
Study and To pass this course, the students must:
examination
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requirements  Achieve a composite mark of at least 50; and
 Make a satisfactory attempt at all assessment tasks (see below).
GRADING POLICY
Grades can be based on the following:
Assignment 20%
Midterm examination 30%
Final examination 50%
Total 100%

COURSE POLICIES
Attendance
Regular and punctual attendance at lectures and seminars is expected in this
course. University regulations indicate that if students attend less than eighty
percent of scheduled classes they may be refused final assessment. Exemptions
may only be made on eligible medical grounds.
Workload
It is expected that the students will spend at least six hours per week studying
this course. This time should be made up of reading, research, working on
exercises and problems, and attending classes. In periods where they need to
complete assignments or prepare for examinations, the workload may be greater.
Over-commitment has been a cause of failure for many students. They should
take the required workload into account when planning how to balance study
with part-time jobs and other activities.
General Conduct and Behaviour
The students are expected to conduct themselves with consideration and respect
for the needs of fellow students and teaching staff. Conduct which unduly
disrupts or interferes with a class, such as ringing or talking on mobile phones,
is not acceptable and students will be asked to leave the class. The use of laptops
is also encouraged during law lessons only to search for materials online. More
information on student conduct is available on the university webpage.
Keeping informed
The students should take note of all announcements made in lectures or on the
course’s Blackboard, and another announced mean of communications. From
time to time, the university will send important announcements to their
university e-mail addresses without providing a paper copy. The students will be
deemed to have received this information.
Academic honesty and plagiarism
Plagiarism is the presentation of the thoughts or work of another as one’s own.
Students are also reminded that careful time management is an important part of
the study and one of the identified causes of plagiarism is poor time
management. Students should allow sufficient time for research, drafting, and
the proper referencing of sources in preparing all assessment items. The
university regards plagiarism as a form of academic misconduct and has very
strict rules regarding plagiarism.

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 Special consideration
Requests for special consideration (for final examination only) must be
made to the Office of Academic Affairs within one week after the examination.
General policy and information on special consideration can be found at the
Office of Academic Affairs. Absence on the Mid-term is not allowed, or in
special cases approved by Lecturer can be replaced with relevant Assignment.
Meeting up with the lecturers after classes
Students must make an appointment via emails if they want to meet up
with the lecturer after classes and be on time. If there are any changes to the
scheduled time, students must inform the lecturer immediately.
Reading list Please note that it is very important to gain familiarity with the subject
matter in the readings and cases available on Blackboard and the internet before
attendance in classes.
Required Course Texts and Materials
Legal Texts:
1. Constitution of Vietnam - 2013
2. Civil Code of Vietnam - 2015
3. Criminal Code of Vietnam – 2015 (amended in 2017)
4. Law on Law on Handling of Administrative Violations 2012
5. Law on Enterprises – 2020
6. Labour Code 2019
7. Law on anti-corruption 2018
Available at https://luatvietnam.vn/ or Blackboard
Books:
 PGS.TS. Phan Trung Hien, Giáo trình Pháp Luật Đại cương, NXB
Chính Trị Quốc Gia Sự Thật 2022.
 Mai Hong Quy (Chief Editor) (2 nd 2017), Introduction to Vietnamese
Law, Hong Duc Publishing House.
Additional materials provided in Blackboard
The lecturer will attempt to make lecture notes and additional reading
available on Blackboard. However, this is not an automatic entitlement for
students doing this subject. Note that this is not a distance learning course, and
you are expected to attend lectures and take notes. This way, you will get the
added benefit of class interaction and demonstration.
Optional Course Texts and Materials
Recommended Internet sites
UNCTAD (United Nations Conference on Trade and Development)
WTO (World Trade Organization)
MOIT - Vietnam (Official website of Ministry of Industry and Trade)
MPI - Vietnam (Official website of Ministry of Planning and Investment)
Other Resources, Support and Information
Additional learning assistance is available for students in this course and
will be made available on Blackboard. Academic journal articles are available

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 through connections via the VNU - Central Library. Recommended articles will
be duly informed to the students.
Books:
 Nguyen Phu Trong, Kiên quyết, kiên trì đấu tranh phòng, chống tham
nhũng, tiêu cực, góp phần xây dựng đảng và nhà nước ta ngày càng
trong sạch, vững mạnh, NXB Chính Trị Quốc Gia Sự Thật 2023.
 University of Law Ho Chi Minh City, Giáo trình luật Hiến pháp Việt
nam, NXB Hồng Đức 2023.
 University of Law Ho Chi Minh City, Giáo trình Luật hành chính, NXB
Hồng Đức 2022.
 University of Law Ho Chi Minh City, Giáo trình Luật hình sự Việt
Nam, NXB Hồng Đức 2022.
 University of Law Ho Chi Minh City, Giáo trình Luật dân sự Việt Nam,
NXB Hồng Đức 2022.
 University of Law Ho Chi Minh City, Giáo trình Luật lao động Việt
Nam, NXB Hồng Đức 2022.
 University of Law Ho Chi Minh City, Giáo trình pháp luật về chủ thể
kinh doanh, NXB Hồng Đức 2022.

2. Learning Outcomes Matrix (optional)

The relationship between Course Learning Outcomes (SLO) (1-5) and Program/Student Learning
Outcomes (PLO/SLO) (1 - 10) is shown in the following table:
PLO/SLO
SLO 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
1 R,M R,M R,M R,M R,M R,M
2 R,M
3 R,M
4 R,M
5 R,M
R: Reinforced
M: Mastery
3. Planned learning activities and teaching methods

Learning
Week Topic CLO Assessments activities Resources
Introduction to State
 What is State? Tests
PPT - Introduction
 Nature of state Peer evaluations
1-5 Discussions to Vietnamese
 Forms of state Class-
(level I - Case studies legal system
 Functions of state introduced) performance
available on
 Introduction to structure of evaluations
Blackboard
Vietnamese state
1
2 Introduction to law? 1-5 Tests Discussions PPT - Introduction
 What is law? (level I - Peer evaluations Case studies to Vietnamese
introduced)
 Nature of law Class- legal system
performance available on
5
  Forms of law
 Structure of law
 Categorization of legal
system.
evaluations
 Enforcement Blackboard
 Breach of law and
liabilities for breach of law
 Introduction to structure of
Vietnamese legal system
Constitutional Law

 General introduction on
Vietnamese Constitution
and its nature and basic PPTs –
principles. Tests Constitutional law
 Political, economic and Peer evaluations available on
1-5 Discussions
other regimes of Vietnam Class- Blackboard
(Level R - Case studies
 Basic rights and reinforced) performance
responsibilities of citizens. evaluations Constitution 2013
Relationship between available on
citizens and the State. Blackboard
 Structure, functions and
duties of Vietnamese state,
especially in prevention of
3 corruption
PPTs –
Constitutional Law (Cont) Tests Constitutional law
Peer evaluations available on
1-5 Discussions
 Structure and functions and Class- Blackboard
(Level R - Case studies
duties of Vietnamese state reinforced) performance
 Duties of the state in evaluations Constitution 2013
prevention of corruption available on
4 Blackboard
PPT–
Administrative law
Administrative Law available on
 Definition and nature of Tests Discussions Blackboard
administrative law Peer evaluations Case studies
 Administrative law 1-5 Class- and law on Law on handling
(Level R -
violations reinforced) performance anti- administrative
 Liabilities for breach of evaluations corruption violations 2012,
administrative law, exemption and Law on anti-
from the liability corruption 2018
available on
5 Blackboard
PPT– Criminal law
Criminal Law Tests Discussions
available on
Peer evaluations Case studies,
Blackboard
• Definition and nature of 1-5 Class- especially
(Level R -
criminal law reinforced) performance cases related
Criminal code
• Crimes evaluations to corruption
2015 available on
• Punishments
6 Blackboard
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 PPT– Criminal law
Tests Discussions
available on
Criminal Law (Cont) Peer evaluations Case studies,
1-5 Blackboard
Class- especially
(Level R -
• Crimes related to corruption reinforced) performance cases related
Criminal code
• Punishments for corruption evaluations to corruption
2015 available on
7 Blackboard
Revision for mid-term exam Quizzes
8 Projects
Civil Law (Part I) PPT– Civil law
 Definition and nature Civil Tests
available on
Peer evaluations
law relationship 1-5 Discussions Blackboard
Class-
 Subject of civil law (Level R - Case studies
performance
 Property and ownership reinforced) Civil code 2015
evaluations
 Civil transactions available on
9 Blackboard
Civil Law (Part II) PPT– Civil law
Tests
 Contracts available on
Peer evaluations
- Definitions 1-5 Discussions Blackboard
Class-
- Formation of contracts (Level M - Case studies
Mastery) performance
- Validity of contracts Civil code 2015
evaluations
- Liability for breach of available on
10 contracts Blackboard
PPT– Civil law
Tests
available on
Civil Law (Part III) Peer evaluations
1-5 Discussions Blackboard
 Inheritance Class-
(Level M - Case studies
- Testamentary inheritance Mastery) performance
Civil code 2015
- Intestacy evaluations
available on
11 Blackboard
Law on Enterprises PPT– Law on
Tests enterprises
 Introduction to law on
1-5 Peer evaluations available on
enterprises Discussions
Class- Blackboard
 Introduction to forms, Case studies
(Level I - performance
features, establishment, Introduced)
evaluations Law on enterprises
reorganization and 2020 available on
dissolution of an enterprise
12 Blackboard
Labor Law
 Definition, and nature of PPT– Labor law
Tests
labour law available on
Peer evaluations
 Employees and employers 1-5 Discussions Blackboard
Class-
 Working time, and resting (Level M - Case studies
Mastery) performance
time Labor code 2019
evaluations
 Salary (including salary for available on
overtime working hours) Blackboard
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14 Labour Law (Cont.) 1-5 Tests Discussions PPT– Labor law
(Level M - Peer evaluations Case studies available on
Mastery)
 Employment contracts Class- Blackboard
 Labor disciplines performance
evaluations Labor code 2019
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 available on
 Dispute settlements
Blackboard
Quizzes
Revision/ Tutoring classes
15 Projects

4. Assessment plan

Assessment Type CLO1 CLO2 CLO3 CLO4 CLO5

70% 80% 100% 100% 100%
In class evaluation (20%) pass pass pass pass pass
70% 80% 100% 100% 100%
Midterm examination pass pass pass pass pass
(30%)
70% 80% 100% 100% 100%
Final examination (50%) pass pass pass pass pass
Note: %Pass: Target that % of students having scores greater than 50 out of 100.

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 5. Rubrics

No. CLOs COMPLETELY FAIL INADEQUATE ADEQUATE ABOVE AVERAGE EXEMPLARY

Criteria
Below 30% 30% – 49% 50% - 69% 70% - 89% ≥ 90%
1 CLO 1 No evidence of Does not organise ideas Generally organised Clear organization and Response is focused,
organization and logically and with logically, with evidence progression. detailed and non-
coherence clarification of progression tangential.
Responds appropriately
Limited evidence of Occasionally, there may and relevantly, although Shows a high degree of
Organisation and coherence be a lack of focus or some ideas are attention to logic and
clarification ideas may be tangential underdeveloped reasoning of points.
Ideas lack consistence
Clearly leads the reader to
the conclusion and stirs
thought regarding the
topic
2 Shows no ability to Demonstrates an Shows ability to identify Shows strong ability to Shows strong ability to
identify legal issues or a incomplete grasp of the legal issues, gather the identify legal issues, identify legal issues,
clear inability to gather task. facts and develop gather the fact and gather the facts and
Originality and the facts claims. develop claims as well as develop claims as well as
There is no overall sense
usefulness of the link claims with link claims with evidence.
of creative coherence. Argument are addressed
analysis evidence.
well but no links with Satisfactory solutions are
Arguments are addressed
evidence Overall, an acceptable offered and supported
incompletely.
solution is offered and
explained
3 Shows no effort to Shows little information Shows moderate amount Draws upon sources to Draws upon primary and
incorporate information from sources. Poor of source information support most points. secondary source
from primary and handling of sources incorporated. information in useful and
Some evidence may not
secondary sources illuminating ways to
Some key points support arguments or
support key points.
Use of supported by sources. may appear where
data/information inappropriate. Excellent integration of
Quotations may be
quoted material into
poorly integrated into Quotations integrated
paragraphs. Source cited
paragraphs. well into paragraphs.
correctly
Some possible problems Sources cited correctly
with source citations

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4 CLO2 Shows no effort to Shows limited ability to Shows effort to link Shows ability to Shows ability to structure
structure problems in structure problems in problems with the structure problems in problems in
correspondence to correspondence to theoretical frameworks. correspondence to correspondence to
Use of theoretical frameworks theoretical frameworks theoretical frameworks theoretical frameworks
frameworks There are still some
correctly. correctly.
mistakes
Minor mistakes in The problems are well
resolving problems resolved
5 Shows no effort to Shows little attempt to Shows argument of poor Shows clear, relevant Shows identifiable,
construct logical offer support for key quality. and logical arguments. reasonable and sound
Quality of arguments. claims or to relate arguments.
Weak, undeveloped
arguments evidence to analysis.
Fails to support analysis reasons are offered to Clear reasons are offered
Reasons offered are support key claims to support key claims.
irrelevant.

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6. Date revised: 30th June 2022
Ho Chi Minh City, 15th July 2022
Head/Dean of Department/School
(Signature)

<Full Name>

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