Vietnam

This Week in Asian Law

This Week in Asian Law

USALI’s weekly round-up of legal news from Asia. This week’s highlights include: A Chinese court holds a brief, closed trial for Canadian Michael Kovrig; the Hong Kong Court of Appeals rules that the doctrine of “joint enterprise“ can be used to prosecute persons who were not physically present at 2019’s protests; the Japanese government halts use of the free messaging app Line by government officials after a serious data breach involving a Chinese firm; a North Korean national is extradited to the US from Malaysia to face money laundering charges; Taiwan’s Supreme Court issues a decision that could makes it easier to reopen alleged wrongful conviction cases; Vietnam’s National Assembly begins its annual plenum to elect a new government leadership.

This Week in Asian Law

This Week in Asian Law

USALI’s weekly round-up of legal news from Asia. This week’s highlights include: A Chinese court holds a brief, closed trial for Canadian Michael Spavor; the Hong Kong government formally introduces a bill requiring district councillors to take loyalty oaths; a Japanese court says the failure to recognize same-sex marriage is unconstitutional; South Korea acquits 335 Jeju Islanders convicted in a 1948 insurrection; Taiwan makes it easier for foreign, Hong Kong, and Macau non-profits to open offices.

This Week in Asian Law

This Week in Asian Law

USALI’s weekly round-up of legal news from Asia. This week’s highlights include: China launches a National Database of Laws and Regulations; Hong Kong’s chief executive says the electoral system needs reform; Japanese officials say China’s new Coast Guard Law is escalating tensions; South Koreans are accusing sports and entertainment celebrities of having been bullies at school; some academics in Taiwan call for stiffer punishment of professors who take unauthorized grants from China.

This Week in Asian Law

This Week in Asian Law

USALI’s weekly round-up of legal news from Asia. This week’s highlights include: China and Hong Kong take BBC World News off the air, Hong Kong Bar Association and immigrant protection groups express concern over proposed change to immigration rules, Japan’s new COVID-19 measures face pushback, South Korea considers introducing a system to register births to resident foreigners, Taiwan may enshrine animal rights in its constitution.

This Week in Asian Law

This Week in Asian Law

USALI’s weekly round-up of legal news from Asia. This week’s highlights include: China’s judicial interpretation of the Criminal Procedure Law; Hong Kong’s pro-democracy movement is nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize; Japan to fine COVID restrictions violators; South Korea impeaches a sitting a judge for the first time; Vietnam concludes its Communist Party Congress by giving General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong an unprecedented third term.

This Week in Asian Law

This Week in Asian Law

USALI’s weekly round-up of legal news from Asia. This week’s highlights include: China’s congress releases seven draft laws or amendments for public comment; China says it will not recognize BNO passports held by Hong Kong residents as travel documents; Japan’s ruling party drops the idea of criminally prosecuting non-cooperative COVID-19 patients; a North Korean ambassador defects to South Korea; South Korea’s Constitutional Court allows a controversial new corruption investigation body to stand; Taiwan’s Judicial Yuan is accused of lowering ethical standards as judges are implicated in a corruption scandal; Vietnam’s Communist Party general secretary maneuvers for a third term.

This Week in Asian Law

This Week in Asian Law

USALI’s weekly round-up of legal news from Asia. This week’s highlights include China’s legislature considers a draft Legal Aid Law; civil servants in Hong Kong are required to sign a loyalty pledge; Japan’s Cabinet approves giving the government more powers to fight Covid-19; North Korea seeks to impose a penalty for anyone caught enjoying South Korean entertainment; Taiwan’s Supreme Court remands the criminal case against eight Sunflower movement activists to the High Court for retrial; a record number of delegates to attend Vietnam’s National Party Congress.

This Week in Asian Law

This Week in Asian Law

USALI’s weekly round-up of legal news from Asia. This week’s highlights are : China’s Communist Party issues a Plan on Building Rule of Law (2020-2025); Hong Kong’s new chief justice talks about impartial adjudication; Japan proposes criminal penalties for COVID-19 patients who refuse hospitalization; a Korean court confirms former President Park Geun-hye’s sentence; Taiwan’s judicial corruption case; and concerns from the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights over Vietnam’s imprisonment of three journalists.

This Week in Asian Law

This Week in Asian Law

USALI’s weekly round-up of legal news from Asia. This week’s news is led by a fascinating sample of cases in which Chinese courts are already applying provisions of the new Civil Code. Other highlights: Hong Kong police arrest 53 pro-democracy activists pursuant to the National Security Law; Japan witnesses a record high number of changed gender registrations; a Korean court orders Japan to pay damages to “comfort women”; Taiwan faces calls to limit the collection and use of data from its cell-phone based COVID quarantine system. Vietnam sentences three independent journalists to more than 10 years in prison for criticizing the government.

This Week in Asian Law

December 12-18

China

  • The southeastern province of Yunnan recently passed an AIDS-prevention regulation that authorizes medical institutions to inform the spouse or sex partner of someone found to be HIV-positive if the infected person fails to do so. In this article, legal experts respond to concerns about whether the regulation violates privacy rights. (in Chinese)

  • China’s Supreme People's Court has appointed four senior African legal experts to a 24-member Expert Committee of the China International Commercial Court, which hears international commercial disputes related to the Belt and Road Initiative. Matthew Erie, an associate professor at the University of Oxford said the move “sends a strong signal that China’s new outward-looking court is inclusive” in an effort to offer alternatives to international dispute resolution options.

  • China’s Supreme People’s Procuratorate (SPP) published a 28-article document to guide prosecutors as they to implement the “plea for leniency” system. The document was issued in response to the opinions of the Standing Committee of the 13th National People's Congress when it reviewed an earlier SPP report on the implementation of the system. The document provides guidance about protecting the rights of defendants, exercising prosecutorial discretion, enhancing communication with defense lawyers, improving prosecution sentencing suggestions, and so on. (in Chinese)

  • The China Law Society published its Annual Report on China’s Construction of Rule of Law for 2019. The 12-part report addresses achievements and problems with respect to rule of law in the fields of legislation, supervision, political and judicial reform, administration, adjudication, human rights protection, intellectual property protection, ecological protection, legal education, research and publicity, etc., as well as international cooperation and communication. (in Chinese)

  • OutRight Action International has issued a report exploring the relationship between law and the lives of LGBT people in China, and the Chinese LGBT movement’s efforts to make law a force for greater equality rather than one that entrenches stigma. The report, titled “Precarious Progress: Advocacy for the Human Rights of LGBT People in China,” is written by Darius Longarino a China scholar based at the Paul Tsai China Center of Yale Law School.

  • Since the 2012 Criminal Procedure Law legalized the police practice of detaining suspects in locations other than their homes or official detention centers (known as “residential surveillance in a designated location” or RSDL), China has been criticized by U.N. human rights experts for allowing what amounts to a form of incommunicado detention. The China Human Rights Lawyers Concern Group here responds to a recent defense of RSDL by the Chinese government. Separately, Zhu Yonghui, a Chinese defense lawyer at King and Capital Law Firm, also urged authorities to abolish RSDL in remarks made at a recent lawyers forum. (in Chinese)

  • A Tianjin man, Yang Songfa, who spent 19 years behind bars for an intentional homicide that he did not commit, was exonerated this week. The Tianjin High People’s Court overturned the original conviction and suspended death sentence and acquitted him after a retrial found insufficient evidence to support his conviction 17 years ago. Yang’s conviction was based on his coerced confession after a 48-hour interrogation and questionable physical evidence.

  • The Chinese Communist Party’s recently released Implementation Outline for the Establishment of a Rule of Law-Based Society (2020-2025) has been translated into English by China Law Translate, which also wrote its own Highlights of the Outline.

  • Children who are sexually abused face special obstacles in persuading the courts to grant damages for mental and psychological injuries, according to Beijing’s Qianqian Law Firm, which specializes in such cases. Researchers at the firm recently analyzed 184 child sexual abuse verdicts and shared their findings.

Hong Kong

Japan

Koreas

  • Vice Minister of Gender Equality and Family Kim Kyung-sun said some types of hate speech are already punishable under existing South Korean laws. She spoke at an online briefing about a ministry-sponsored bill that would explicitly ban hate speech against particular cultures, ethnic groups, and countries. The bill lacks a punishment clause, but the minister said serious levels of hate speech may already be deemed in violation of a criminal code ban on insults, and may be punished by fines or even prison time.

  • South Korea’s legislature has amended the Law on the Development of Inter-Korean Relations Act to criminalize sending anti-government leaflets and propaganda into North Korea. Such actions are now punishable by up to three years in jail or a fine of nearly $30,000. The ban has sparked widespread criticism in Korea and internationally as likely to have a chilling effect on access to information and freedom of speech. Korean activists have vowed to defy the law and fight it in court.

  • North Korea has adopted a new law against “reactionary thoughts” that strengthens the state’s controls over the flow of information both domestically and across the border. The law reportedly defines a wide range of acts as illegal, including: listening to, recording or distributing foreign radio radio broadcasts; importing and distributing “impure” foreign recordings, video content, books, or other published materials; and copying or distributing music unapproved by the state. Early this year, North Korean authorities issued an order to intensify the management of electronic devices in order to stop information flow in and out of the country. 

  • South Korea’s National Labor Relations Commission has ruled that the Korea National Ballet was unfair when it dismissed a dancer who violated the company’s self-quarantine rule, and ordered the troupe to reinstate him. While acknowledging that the dancer violated his obligations to the dance company by traveling abroad during the home-quarantine period, the commission said the dance company abused its disciplinary power because the dancer did not violate the government’s quarantine rules. The ballet company is challenging the decision in court.

  • The ruling Democratic Party of Korea has proposed a “Prosecutor Appointment Reform Act” requiring prosecutor appointees to have at least 5-year legal experience. It is the latest in a series of controversial changes to the country’s prosecutorial system being proposed by the ruling party against strong opposition from other parties. (in Korean)

  • The Korean Bar Association held an online discussion about how to implement and improve the right of suspects to take notes during their own investigation and interrogation. The “self-defense notes,” a notebook that allows suspects to record information while being investigated by the police and prosecution agencies, is an innovation of the Seoul Bar Association in collaboration with the National Police Agency, and has been adopted around the country. Although criminal suspects have the right to a lawyer, in practice many lack representation. Allowing suspects to take their own notes is viewed as a means of protecting their rights. (in Korean)

Taiwan

This Week in Asian Law

December 5-11


China

  • The Central Committee of the Chinese Communist Party issued the Implementation Outline for Building a Society Ruled by Law (2020-2025) as a step toward the party goal of building a state, government, and society ruled by law by 2035. The document follows on an earlier five-year outline issued in 2015 that focused on building a government ruled by law. At a press conference on December 7, a party spokesman talked about the background, goals, main focus, and major tasks set out in the document. (in Chinese)

  • The Supreme People’s Court (SPC) on December 7 issued a new judicial interpretation of the Criminal Procedure Law, which was amended in 2018. The previous judicial interpretation dated from before the amendment. The text of the new interpretation is to be released soon. (in Chinese)

  • The SPC also issued a judicial interpretation on December 9 for handling civil disputes involving food safety. It said that e-commerce operators will be held accountable if they fail to review the business licenses of food sellers on their platforms and cause food safety problems.

  • The Supreme People’s Procuratorate published four guiding cases on December 9 for implementing the “plea for leniency” system, a relatively new special procedure in China’s criminal justice system. The procuratorate spokesman said the four cases were chosen to illustrate that this special procedure could be applied in cases involving serious organized crimes, defendant organizations, judicial compensation, and prosecutorial appeals. (in Chinese)

  • The Ministry of Public Security announced at a press conference on December 9 that the police will enhance investigation work in homicide cases to maintain social stability. It stressed that it remained steadfast in the policy that “every homicide case must be solved (命案必破)”. (in Chinese)

  • Chinese regulators are seeking to find a balance between fintech innovation and regulation, according to an assistant professor of finance at Xiamen University, Yang Ji. In the wake of regulators cancelling Ant Group’s initial public offering at the last minute, Yang analyzed the risks that fintech companies including Ant introduce into the financial system.

  • Shanghai Minhang District Court on December 8 placed Ziwutong Beijing Asset Management, the parent organization behind Danke, on the country’s “social credit” blacklist because of its high debt. Danke, one of the biggest real estate rental companies in China, has been skimping on paying property owners since November. Yang Wanming, vice president of the Supreme People’s Court, recently said that Danke was under investigation over its cash-flow problems. Its founder and CEO, Gao Jing, was detained for investigation in June. Danke was founded in 2015 and had an IPO on the New York Stock Exchange last January.

Hong Kong

  • Amnesty International and Omega Research Centre, a UK-based organization, said in a report released December 11 that crowd-control measures deployed by Hong Kong police against civilians during 2019’s anti-extradition protests were in some instances akin to torture. The report identified the extensive use of baton and tear gas by Hong Kong police against protesters last year as state-sanctioned ill-treatment.

  • Hong Kong pro-democracy media tycoon Jimmy Lai has been charged under the new National Security Law with collusion with a foreign country. Media reports say that the charge is linked to accepting media interviews, during which Lai, a vocal critic of Beijing, called for sanctions against Hong Kong. Conviction can bring imprisonment for three years to life.

  • In a 144-page report to the legislature on December 9, the Independent Police Complaints Council said that the number of “reportable complaints” against the police force has dropped over the past year, despite widespread allegations of misconduct during the pro-democracy protests and unrest of 2019. Of the cases investigated, fewer than 10% were deemed “substantiated.”

  • Secretary for Home Affairs Caspar Tsui told the Legislative Council on December 9 that the government will examine “loopholes” in the city’s laws against the spread of misinformation. However, Chris Yeung, chair of the Hong Kong Journalists Association, said such legislation is completely unnecessary and that laws against misinformation can be used to restrict free speech.

Japan

  • The Osaka District Court has revoked the government’s approval to operate a nuclear plant under new safety regulation developed in the wake of the 2011 Fukushima nuclear disaster. A lawsuit brought by 130 area residents questioned whether the basic earthquake ground motion figure used by the plant operator, Kansai Electric, in its safety measures was appropriate. Judge Hajime Morikagi said the company needed to factor in a potentially much larger earthquake around the plant. It is the first time a Japanese court has withdrawn government approval granted to a power company to operate a nuclear plant under the safety standards set in 2013 following the meltdowns at the Fukushima Daiichi power plant triggered by an earthquake and ensuing tsunami.

  • An editorial in the Japan News marking the 20th anniversary of an anti-stalking law called for revisions to bring the law up to date. Although the law has been amended to include within its scope actions such as mass emailing and persistent posts on social media by stalkers, as recently as July the Japanese Supreme Court ruled that tracking people with a GPS device is not barred by the law.

  • Human Rights Watch said on December 11 that the Japanese government should immediately reverse its decision to support Cambodia’s notoriously abusive police force because Cambodia’s counterterrorism efforts have long been misused to target opposition political figures and other government critics.

Koreas

Taiwan

  • Judicial authorities on December 5 warned the public not to try narcotic powder mixtures, as more than 60 deaths in the first half of this year were attributed to overdoses. To deter crimes involving drugs, the Keelung District Court sentenced three defendants to 25, 25, and 19 years, respectively, for selling PMMA powder mixtures near high schools, resulting in the overdose deaths of three students.

  • The Control Yuan on December 8 put forth a series of proposals, including the establishment of a whistle-blower protection program, to improve protections for children who have been sexually abused. In the investigation brief of the Control Yuan, 17 major child sex-abuse cases were reviewed.

  • The Legislative Yuan held a public hearing on December 7 to discuss ways of encouraging digital development and cybersecurity, including establishing a ministry-level body that would spur innovation and integrate existing information systems. Other proposals included government investment in cybersecurity, establishment of information-security departments at universities, and conducting regular drills to help government agencies learn to respond to attacks.

  • Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) lawmakers on December 10 urged the Ministry of Labor to review the Gender Equality in Employment Act to protect workers. The existing act does not stipulate the process for investigating an employer as the perpetrator in a case. It also allows the employer to be the judge, jury and executioner, which discourages victims from filing complaints “through the system,” a lawmaker said.

  • The Health Promotion Administration (HPA) is drafting an amendment to remove the requirement for married women to obtain permission from their partner before having an abortion. The current Genetic Health Act provides that induced abortion by a married woman “shall be subject to her husband’s consent unless her husband is missing, unconscious or deranged.” The HPA’s petition says that a woman’s right to bodily autonomy should not be affected by her marital status; because the risks and consequences of abortion are the woman’s to bear, it should not be decided by anyone else.

Vietnam

  • After a 26-year ban on private use of fireworks in Vietnam, the newly passed Decree No. 137/2020/ND-CP relaxes the rules to allow certain kinds of non-explosive fireworks. An official at the Ministry of Public Security talked to the press about the new management and use of firecrackers and fireworks that will take effect on January 11, 2021.

This Week in Asian Law

This Week in Asian Law

November 28-December 4. USALI’s weekly round up of legal developments and news from Asia. This week’s highlights include, China’s legislature is set to convene to review several draft laws during next session; multiple national or local laws and regulations covering legal profession, personal data collection will take effect next year; Hong Kong court sentenced pro-democracy advictists to prison; A district court in Japan declared unconstitutional of the Eugenics Protection Law but rejected claims for damage; South Korea revised laws to offer high protection for minors and tougher punishment for sex offenders; Taiwan mulls on lifting limitations for transnational same-sex couples; Facebook and YouTube face pushbacks for helping Vietnam government to repress anti-state speech.

This Week in Asian Law

This Week in Asian Law

November 14-20. USALI’s weekly round up of legal developments and news from Asia. This week’s highlights include, China calls for a “coordinated approach“ to advance the socialist “rule of law,“ Hong Kong judge rules that police were wrong to hide ID badges, Japan finds its LGBT community mostly stays in hiding at work, South Korea court rules against state health insurer in damages suit against big tobacco companies, Taiwan drafts Trust Law amendments to prevent donated property from going back to the donor through private agreement, Vietnam launches a project to provide legal aid to disabled persons.

This Week in Asian Law

This Week in Asian Law

November 7-13. USALI’s weekly round up of legal developments and news from Asia. This week’s highlights include, China released draft Personal Information Protection Law for public comment, Hong Kong pan-democracy lawmakers resign en masse in response to the disqualification of four legislators by NPCSC, Japan shortens the length of detention for deportees, South Korea plans to push for legislative revisions to protect delivery workers, Taiwan’s marriage equality activities call for law interpretation to recognize cross-border same-sex marriage, Vietnam National Assembly is expect to vote on 7 laws and 3 resolutions during the plenary session.

This Week in Asian Law

October 31 - November 6, 2020


China

  • China’s ruling Communist Party released the communique from its Fifth Plenum on Oct 29. This analysis in The Diplomat focuses on what the communique contains beyond techno-industrial policy for the next 5-year plan.

  • A former flight attendant is suing China Southern Airlines for suspending him after his sexual orientation was made public without his consent last year. The plaintiff appeared at a court in Shenzhen on November 1, arguing the suspension violates labor law.

  • The Council of Chairpersons decided on November 3 to convene the National People’s Congress Standing Committee (NPCSC) for a non-regularly scheduled session on November 10 - 11. This will be the sixth special session the NPCSC has held in less than two and a half years. NPC Observer published a preview of the three pieces of draft legislation on the NPCSC’s tentative agenda.

  • The office leading a nationwide campaign against organized crime (全国扫黑除恶办公室) issued its 6th press release on November 3 to update the status of four high-profile organized-crime cases, release statistics about cases it has handled, and publicize preliminary achievements of the national Campaign on Education and Rectification among China’s political and legal cadres. (in Chinese)

  • The Supreme People’s Court, Supreme People’s Procuratorate, Ministry of Public Security, Ministry of National Security and Ministry of Justice co-issued Opinions on Several Issues Regarding the Standardization of Sentencing Procedures on November 5 in order to regulate sentencing procedures in plea-for leniency cases. Representatives from the five agencies held a press conference the same day. (in Chinese)

Hong Kong

  • Seven pro-democracy lawmakers were arrested in Hong Kong on November 1, 2020 on charges related to obstructing a legislative council meeting in May. They announced their arrests on their individual Facebook pages. China imposed the National Security Law on Hong Kong in June, a move widely condemned by Western governments and human rights groups.

  • Hong Kong's police force launched an anonymous tip line on November 5 to encourage people to report each other for alleged violations of the National Security Law.

  • Ms. Choy Yuk, one of the producers of a TV documentary about the 2019 Yuen Long mob attack, was arrested in connection with the use of car license plate records. Following the arrest, local journalism groups criticized Hong Kong chief executive for her failure to safeguard press freedom.

  • The Constitutional & Mainland Affairs Bureau held a webinar on November 4 for disciplined services representatives to introduce new training resources to enhance front-line officers' sensitivity towards sexual minorities.

  • Secretary for Justice Teresa Cheng talked about sports law, sports arbitration and sports mediation at the Sports Dispute Resolution Conference during Hong Kong Legal Week 2020 on November 5.

Japan

  • An advisory panel at Japan’s Ministry of Justice recommended harsher penalties for crimes committed by 18- and 19-year-old offenders in its suggested revisions of the Juvenile Law. Other recommendations included expanding the range of crimes that such juveniles could be charged with and allowing the release of the suspect’s name and photo after indictment.

  • A group of citizens in western Japan sued the Kyoto governor on November 4 for the return of taxpayer money that he and other prefectural officials used to attend a Shinto ceremony last year to mark Emperor Naruhito’s enthronement. The plaintiffs argued that the officials violated the Constitution by attending the ceremony.

  • The National Police Agency said on November 5 that money-laundering cases in 2019 nearly tripled compared to the previous year. A police report indicated that e-money services have increasingly been used in criminal activities in Japan.

Koreas

  • The Seoul Central District Court ordered Interpark Corp., which runs a major Korean online shopping mall, to compensate more than 2,400 customers 100,000 won (US$88) each for a data leak in May 2016. The personal information of 10 million Interpark customers was compromised and the company informed its customers 14 days after it became aware of the leak.

  • Lee Chun-jae admitted in court on November 2 that he murdered 14 women and girls in one of South Korea’s most notorious serial killing cases. Lee apologized to the man who was wrongfully convicted for the crimes and spent 20 years in prison while maintaining his innocence.

  • The Seoul High Court on November 6 upheld the two-year prison sentence imposed on South Gyeongsang Province Gov. Kim Kyoung-soo, nearly two years after Kim was convicted of conspiring to manipulate online opinions in favor of President Moon Jae-in during his election campaign.

Taiwan

  • Foreign same-sex couples in Taiwan will be able to apply in Taipei for a commemorative “marriage certificate” that will not be legally binding. The certificates, which will be available from mid-November, are part of this city’s tourism promotion efforts.

  • The Taiwan Jury Association held a press conference at the Legislative Yuan in Taipei on November 2, 2020, criticizing the Judicial Yuan's plan to budget NT$120 million (US$4.15 million) next year for a public marketing campaign to promote a new lay judge system. The association says the campaign is an attempt to mislead society about “wrongly implemented” reforms. The association wants to create a jury system instead.

  • The Taiwan Environmental Protection Administration (EPA) has revised its draft regulations on restaurant air pollution to require eateries to install exhaust facilities and perform monthly maintenance, or face fines of up to NT$1 million (US$34,572).

  • The Taipei High Administrative Court on November 2 began proceedings in a case filed by over 50 professionals in Taiwan against the Ministry of Interior for potential infringement of data and identity protection in connection with a newly established digital ID system. The government plans to introduce electronic ID cards next year.

  • The Council of Grand Justice heard a legal argument on November 3 over whether convicted sex offenders should be held in a designated facility for mandatory therapy after release from prison.

Vietnam

  • The judiciary of Vietnam hosted the 8th meeting of the Council of ASEAN Chief Justices (CACJ) on November 5. The Chief Justices of the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nation (ASEAN) discussed ways to realize ideas and initiatives identified at previous events. They also looked into the regional context amid the COVID-19 pandemic and the challenges facing CACJ and the courts of members, along with solutions to those problems.

  • The Ministry of Labor, Invalids and Social Affairs proposed delaying a planned minimum wage increase until the third quarter of 2021 due to economic hardship caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. The current minimum monthly wage range from $133 - $190 in the four regions of Vietnam.

  • The United Nation Population Fund representative in Vietnam talked about gender equality work in Vietnam, the Vietnam Law & Legal Forum reported on November 2.

This Week in Asian Law

This Week in Asian Law

October 24- 30, 2020. USALI’s weekly round up of legal developments and news from Asia. This week’s highlights include, a recent exoneree in China received state compensation; Hong Kong lawmakers back appointment of leading British judge to city’s top court; a Japan high court rules against a Korean school, denying discriminatory treatment based on political and diplomatic reasons; South Korea Supreme Court upheld a 17-year prison sentence on SK’s former President; two Taiwanese women military officers became the first same-sex couple to get married at a mass military wedding; Vietnam’s National Assembly mulls on the draft law amendment introducing controversial power cut-off penalties.

This Week in Asian Law

This Week in Asian Law

October 17 - 23, 2020. USALI’s weekly round up of legal developments and news from Asia. Highlights include, new laws passed during the China’s National People’s Congress Standing Committee meeting; a system for reporting the execution of death row inmates to crime victims in Japan; a recent survey shows nearly half of the nation’s students are involved in cyber-bullying in Taiwan; and Vietnam’s National Assembly mulls on several important law amendments.

ASEAN and the South China Sea: Vietnam's Role as Chair

ASEAN and the South China Sea: Vietnam's Role as Chair

On November 4, the ASEAN chair’s gavel was passed to Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc of Vietnam at the closing ceremony of the grouping’s annual summit in Bangkok. Vietnam will serve as the chair of ASEAN, the most important international organization in Southeast Asia, through 2020.