Access to justice from a people’s perspective – The updated 2010 survey

Updated Report on the Results of the 2003 People’s Perspective Survey on Access to Justice, funded by UNDP.

Author: NHQuang&Associates
Published year: 2011

Abstract:
Access to justice and the protection of citizens’ rights are among the key priorities in the United Nations’ support for legal reform in Viet Nam. In mid-2003, for the first time, an independent consultancy group conducted a UNDP-funded sociological survey on public perceptions of access to justice in Viet Nam. In March 2010, UNDP funded a follow-up survey to update the findings of the Access to justice from a people’s perspective 2003, with the aim of assessing changes in access to justice and rights protection in Viet Nam over the seven years since 2003, against the backdrop of significant political, economic, and social changes.

Against this background, the Access to justice from a people’s perspective – The updated 2010 survey was produced, based on the results of a survey of 1,000 citizens (equivalent to 1,000 questionnaires) across six provinces and cities – Ha Noi, Thai Binh, Hoa Binh, Dak Lak, Ho Chi Minh City, and Can Tho – together with 12 focus group discussions in the same locations to gather input from both citizens and relevant state agencies.

The Report addresses four key issues:

1. Citizens’ assessment of access to the law, legal agencies, and supporting institutions
2. Citizens’ assessment of legal reform
3. Cultural and socio-psychological factors affecting access to justice
4. Considerations regarding access to justice for vulnerable groups

Drawing on the survey data, the Report focuses on evaluating citizens’ access to justice in light of the political, economic, and social context of 2010. It then presents findings on access to justice from the people’s perspective, based on a comparison with the 2003 Report.

Suggested citation: NHQuang&Associates, Access to justice from a people’s perspective – The updated 2010 survey, 2011.