Decision No. 06/2010/QD-TTg On the construction, management, and exploitation of Legal Bookshelves

Pursuant to …;

On the construction, management, and exploitation of legal bookcases

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PRIME MINISTER

Pursuant to the Law on Organization of the Government dated December 25, 2001;

Pursuant to Resolution No. 61/2007/NQ-CP dated December 7, 2007 of the Government on continuing to implement Directive No. 32-CT/TW dated December 9, 2003 of the Central Committee of the Communist Party (Term IX) on strengthening the Party's leadership in legal dissemination and education work, enhancing the awareness of law observance among cadres and people;

Pursuant to Decree No. 93/2008/NĐ-CP dated August 22, 2008, promulgated by the Government stipulating the functions, tasks, powers, and organizational structure of the Ministry of Justice;

Considering the proposal of the Minister of Justice,

DECISION:

Article 1. Scope of Regulation and Applicability

This Decision stipulates the construction, management, and exploitation of legal bookcases of People's Communes, Towns, and Urban Districts (collectively referred to as commune-level legal bookcases) and legal bookcases at administrative state agencies, economic organizations, public service units, civilian armed forces units, national education system schools and other educational institutions, state agencies, political-social organizations, and civilian armed forces (collectively referred to as legal bookcases at agencies and units).

Article 2. Interpretation of Terms

1. Legal bookcase is a place for storing, exploiting, and using books, newspapers, and legal documents to serve the needs of work, research, and understanding of readers.

2. Commune-level legal bookcase is a place for storing, exploiting, and using books, newspapers, and legal documents to serve the work of cadres and civil servants at grassroots levels and mass organizations, and to meet the needs of the people in understanding laws, thereby helping to strengthen legal dissemination and education and promote grassroots democracy.

3. Legal bookcase at agencies and units is a place for storing, exploiting, and using books, newspapers, and legal documents to serve the needs of research and understanding of laws by cadres, civil servants, officials, teachers, students, employers, employees, and military personnel and police officers.

Article 3. Principles of Construction, Management, and Exploitation of Legal Bookcases

1. The construction of commune-level and agency/unit legal bookcases is one of the forms and measures of legal dissemination and education, combined with the establishment of cultural activity points at localities, agencies, and units, ensuring stable and long-term operation to maintain and enhance the effectiveness of existing legal bookcases.

2. The location of commune-level and agency/unit legal bookcases must be convenient for cadres and the people to read and borrow books, newspapers, and legal documents.

3. The construction, management, and exploitation of legal bookcases should follow appropriate forms and measures suitable for the characteristics of each region, locality, and unit, and must ensure economy and effective utilization.

4. The People's Commune Councils and agencies/units that decide to construct legal bookcases shall directly manage them. Judicial agencies and Legal Institutions shall provide guidance on the business of constructing, managing, and exploiting legal bookcases.

Article 4. Budget for Construction and Management of Legal Bookshelves

1. The budget for constructing and managing commune-level legal bookcases shall be guaranteed by the commune budget; it is encouraged for provincial and district budgets to support the construction and supplementation of books, newspapers, and documents for commune-level legal bookcases.

Annually, based on the characteristics of each region, locality, and population of each commune, town, and urban district, the Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee or the Municipal People's Committee under the Central Government shall specify the specific amount allocated for each commune-level legal bookcase, but with a minimum standard of two million VND per year. For communes within poor districts according to Resolution No. 30a/2008/NQ-CP dated December 27, 2008 of the Government on the Program for Rapid and Sustainable Poverty Reduction in 61 Poor Districts, higher standards may be set to ensure sufficient books and documents circulating between villages and hamlets.

2. The budget for constructing and managing legal bookcases at agencies and units shall be included in the annual budget of the agencies and units managing the legal bookcases in accordance with the provisions of financial law.

3. It is encouraged for organizations and individuals to contribute funds for the construction of legal bookcases.

4. Sources of funds for constructing and managing legal bookcases:

a) For provinces and municipalities directly under the Central Government that can balance their own budgets, they may allocate and use local government revenue to fund the construction and management of legal bookcases in their areas;

b) For provinces that cannot balance their own budgets, the central government budget shall provide funding;

c) For communes within poor districts according to Resolution No. 30a/2008/NQ-CP dated December 27, 2008 of the Government on the Program for Rapid and Sustainable Poverty Reduction in 61 Poor Districts, the central government budget shall provide funding.

Article 5. Construction of Legal Bookshelves

1. Decision to establish Legal Bookshelves

The Chairperson of the People's Committee of communes, towns, wards, agencies, and units shall decide on the establishment of Legal Bookshelves. In the decision to establish, specific provisions regarding the location of the Legal Bookshelf, responsible staff, scope and service targets, authority, tasks of the responsible staff for the Legal Bookshelf, and construction funding must be included.

2. Location of Legal Bookshelves

Commune-level Legal Bookshelves shall be placed in the reception room or single-window administrative procedures room of the commune-level People's Committee or another convenient location for exploitation and management. Legal Bookshelves at agencies and units shall be located in positions convenient for readers.

3. Types of books, newspapers, and materials in Legal Bookshelves

a) Books, newspapers, and materials of commune-level Legal Bookshelves and Legal Bookshelves at agencies and units need to be selected in accordance with the socio-economic conditions of each locality, agency, unit, and service target. Legal Bookshelves in mountainous areas and ethnic minority regions shall have additional books and materials in ethnic minority languages.

b) Legal Bookshelves shall include the following types of books, newspapers, and legal materials:

- Regulatory legal documents: regulatory legal documents directly related to the people and activities of agencies, units, and local authorities;

- General legal materials: question-and-answer books, commentaries, explanations of laws concerning citizens' rights and obligations, pamphlets, outlines, audiovisual materials for legal dissemination and education;

- The Official Gazette of the Socialist Republic of Vietnam; central and local legal newspapers and bulletins.

c) Besides the types of books, newspapers, and materials specified in point b, Clause 3 of this Article, commune-level Legal Bookshelves must have books and materials guiding grassroots administrative, judicial work; Legal Bookshelves at agencies and units must have legal materials serving management, professional guidance, teaching, and learning activities of the agencies and units.

Commune-level Legal Bookshelves and Legal Bookshelves at agencies and units need to regularly select and supplement other types of books, newspapers, and materials to meet readers' needs.

4. Supplementing legal books, newspapers, and materials for Legal Bookshelves

According to the periodic guidelines of the Ministry of Justice, Legal Bookshelves need to promptly supplement new legal books, newspapers, and materials; regularly review and systematize legal books and materials.

5. Mobilizing the participation and contributions of organizations and individuals in building Legal Bookshelves.

Encouraging diversification of Legal Bookshelf models. Mobilizing existing legal books, newspapers, and materials from cadres and the public to build Legal Bookshelves; encouraging organizations and individuals both domestically and internationally, particularly promoting the media, publishers, and enterprises to support legal books and materials and invest funds in Legal Bookshelves.

6. Strengthening the application of information technology in exploiting regulatory legal documents and legal materials.

a) Digitizing books, materials, and legal information published on electronic Legal Bookshelves;

b) Continuing to connect the Internet for communes, towns, wards, agencies, and units that do not yet have Internet access. Allocating budget funds from the state treasury, while mobilizing resources to invest in building legal databases and developing and applying information technology in legal dissemination and education work;

c) Using the internet system of the commune-level People's Committee, agencies, and units to provide necessary regulatory legal documents and legal materials for Legal Bookshelves, moving towards combining traditional Legal Bookshelf models with electronic Legal Bookshelves;

d) Enhancing training and guidance for cadres and the public to use the Internet in exploiting electronic Legal Bookshelves.

Article 6. Management of Legal Bookshelves

1. Books, newspapers, and legal documents must be registered and preserved according to the State’s regulations on public assets.

2. Persons who lose or damage books, newspapers, or legal documents shall compensate according to the regulations.

Article 7. Staff Responsible for Legal Bookshelves

1. Staff responsible for Legal Bookshelves

a) The staff responsible for Legal Bookshelves at the commune level shall be judicial civil servants or officers assigned judicial tasks at communes, wards, and towns;

b) For various types of Legal Bookshelves in agencies and units, depending on specific conditions, agencies and units shall arrange dedicated or part-time staff to manage Legal Bookshelves.

2. Duties of staff responsible for Legal Bookshelves

a) Prepare budget estimates for initial construction costs and annual supplementary costs for books, newspapers, and legal documents of Legal Bookshelves and implement them after approval;

b) Develop operational rules for Legal Bookshelves and submit them for approval by competent authorities;

c) Preserve books, newspapers, and legal documents according to regulations for public assets; lend out and guide the use of books, newspapers, and legal documents; monitor borrowing, returning, and circulation of books, newspapers, and legal documents;

d) Conduct periodic inventory of books, newspapers, and legal documents annually; prepare six-monthly and annual reports or reports upon request regarding the management and utilization of Legal Bookshelves.

3. Rights of staff responsible for Legal Bookshelves

a) Receive guidance on professional practices for building, managing, and utilizing Legal Bookshelves and legal knowledge;

b) Be rewarded by competent authorities according to the law when achieving outstanding results in building, managing, and utilizing Legal Bookshelves and promoting legal education.

Article 8. Utilization of Legal Bookshelves

1. Internal rules for the operation of the Legal Bookcase

a) Operational rules of Legal Bookshelves shall include the following main contents:

- Service hours;

- Service forms;

- Authorities and responsibilities of staff responsible for Legal Bookshelves;

- Responsibilities for maintaining, preserving, and compensating for losses caused by readers and borrowers when books, newspapers, and legal documents are lost or damaged.

b) The internal rules for the operation of the Legal Bookcase must be posted at the location where the Legal Bookcase is placed.

2. Service Hours

Legal Bookshelves operate daily during working hours of the People's Committee at the commune level, agencies, and units. In cases where it is not possible to serve during working hours, the People's Committee at the commune level, agencies, and units must clearly specify service days and hours for readers.

3. Service Forms

Legal Bookshelves provide services through on-site reading or lending to take home.

4. Methods of Utilizing Legal Bookshelves

a) Regularly promote the position and role of Legal Bookshelves in enhancing understanding and compliance with laws among cadres and people; mobilize and introduce cadres and people to study, read books, newspapers, and legal documents;

b) Timely announce new content of books, newspapers, and legal documents on bulletin boards, information stations, and loudspeakers in communes, wards, towns, agencies, and units to facilitate readers' access to and borrowing of books, newspapers, and legal documents from Legal Bookshelves;

c) Actively organize book introductions, club activities, and legal quizzes to enhance the effectiveness of utilizing Legal Bookshelves;

d) Implement the exchange and circulation of legal books and documents between different types of Legal Bookshelves within communes, wards, and towns.

Article 9. Implementation Organization

1. Ministry of Justice

a) Direct and guide the construction, management, and utilization of Legal Bookshelves at the commune level, agencies, and units;

b) Direct and guide provincial Departments of Justice, legal institutions of Ministries, sectors, and mass organizations to advise the People's Committees at the same level and Ministries, sectors, and mass organizations to implement this Decision; urge and monitor all levels and sectors to effectively implement the Decision and report annually to the Prime Minister;

c) Take the lead and coordinate with relevant Ministries and sectors to direct and guide methods and measures for constructing, managing, and utilizing Legal Bookshelves according to the characteristics of each locality; improve coordination among sectors in inspecting and using various types of Legal Bookshelves; guide professional practices for constructing, managing, and utilizing Legal Bookshelves;

d) Take the lead and coordinate with relevant Ministries and sectors to guide the circulation of legal books and documents between Legal Bookshelves at the commune level and other types of Legal Bookshelves within communes, wards, and towns;

đ) Take the lead and coordinate with relevant Ministries and sectors to guide the types of books, newspapers, and legal documents in Legal Bookshelves as stipulated in Clause 3, Article 5 of this Decision;

e) Establish electronic Legal Bookshelves and electronic Legal Bookshelf software on the Internet to update legal materials, books, newspapers, and information to meet the needs of citizens to understand the law;

g) Compile lists of necessary books, newspapers, and legal documents every six months to provide to provincial Departments of Justice, legal institutions of Ministries, sectors, and mass organizations; develop templates for operational rules of Legal Bookshelves;

h) Compile legal materials and guides for professional practices in constructing, managing, and utilizing Legal Bookshelves;

i) Coordinate with the Ministry of Finance to periodically review and study amendments and supplements to regulations on funding for the construction, management, and maintenance of Legal Bookshelves;

k) Inspect, summarize, conclude, and implement reward systems or propose rewards for collectives and individuals with outstanding achievements in the work of constructing, managing, and utilizing Legal Bookshelves; discipline and handle violations in the activities of constructing, managing, and utilizing Legal Bookshelves.

2. The Ministry of National Defense and the Ministry of Public Security shall direct, manage, and coordinate with the Ministry of Justice to guide the construction, management, and utilization of Legal Bookshelves in military and police units.

3. The Ministry of Education and Training shall direct, manage, and coordinate with the Ministry of Justice to guide the construction, management, and utilization of Legal Bookshelves in schools.

4. The Ministry of Labor, Invalids, and Social Affairs shall direct, manage, and coordinate with the Ministry of Justice to guide the construction, management, and utilization of Legal Bookshelves in educational facilities, vocational training centers, social welfare institutions, care and support centers for war veterans and other social institutions under the management functions of the Ministry of Labor, Invalids, and Social Affairs.

5. The Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism shall direct, manage, and coordinate with the Ministry of Justice to guide the construction, management, and exploitation of Legal Bookshelves at agencies and units within the sector.

6. The Ministry of Information and Communications and Vietnam Post and Telecommunications Group (VNPT) shall direct, manage, and coordinate with the Ministry of Justice to guide the application of information technology in exploiting legal normative documents.

7. Vietnam Television, Voice of Vietnam Radio, and other central and local mass media organizations shall strengthen propaganda on the position and role of Legal Bookshelves; mobilize and introduce cadres and people to read, borrow books, newspapers, and legal materials from Legal Bookshelves.

8. The Ministry of Finance

a) Shall take the lead and coordinate with the Ministry of Justice to periodically review and study proposals for amending and supplementing current regulations regarding funding for the work of constructing and managing Legal Bookshelves;

b) Shall guide localities in preparing budgets, determining sources of funding, making payments, and settling accounts for funding to ensure the construction, management, and maintenance of Legal Bookshelves in accordance with the provisions of the law.

9. Ministries, ministerial-level agencies, and agencies under the Government within their respective functions and tasks shall direct the effective construction, management, and exploitation of Legal Bookshelves at agencies and units under their management; innovate and improve the quality of construction, management, and exploitation of Legal Bookshelves; ensure funding from the budget for construction; promptly supplement books, newspapers, and legal materials for Legal Bookshelves; inspect, summarize, conclude, and implement reward systems or propose rewards for collectives and individuals with outstanding achievements in the work of constructing, managing, and exploiting Legal Bookshelves; discipline and handle violations in the activities of constructing, managing, and exploiting Legal Bookshelves.

10. The Vietnam Fatherland Front Central Committee and its member organizations shall mobilize the people, organizations, and individuals both inside and outside the country to participate in building Legal Bookshelves; direct, manage, and coordinate with the Ministry of Justice to guide the construction, management, and exploitation of Legal Bookshelves managed by their organizations; inspect, summarize, conclude, and implement reward systems or propose rewards for collectives and individuals with outstanding achievements in the work of constructing, managing, and exploiting Legal Bookshelves; discipline and handle violations in the activities of constructing, managing, and exploiting Legal Bookshelves.

11. The General Confederation of Labor of Vietnam shall direct, manage, and coordinate with the Ministry of Justice to guide the construction, management, and exploitation of Legal Bookshelves at agencies and enterprises.

12. Provincial People's Committees and Municipal People's Committees directly under the Central Government

a) Directing, guiding, urging, and monitoring local levels and sectors to effectively implement this Decision;

b) Innovate and improve the quality of construction, management, and exploitation of Legal Bookshelves; diversify types of Legal Bookshelves; strengthen the application of information technology in exploiting legal normative documents; organize the circulation of books and legal materials between different types of Legal Bookshelves within the commune, ward, town area;

c) Direct the organization of systematizing legal normative documents issued by localities and distributing them to Legal Bookshelves; compile professional and legal materials suitable for Legal Bookshelves at the local level;

d) Direct the assignment of civil servants of the Justice-Household Registration Department or staff assigned Justice tasks at communes, wards, towns to be responsible for village-level Legal Bookshelves; have policies to train professional and vocational skills in constructing, managing, and exploiting Legal Bookshelves to meet the requirements of judicial work, including Legal Bookshelf work at the grassroots level in the new situation;

đ) Ensure funding from the budget for construction, maintenance, and timely supplementation of books, newspapers, and legal materials for village-level Legal Bookshelves; encourage financial support for the construction and maintenance of various types of Legal Bookshelves;

e) Inspect, summarize, conclude, and implement reward systems or propose rewards for collectives and individuals with outstanding achievements in the work of constructing, managing, and exploiting Legal Bookshelves; discipline and handle violations in the activities of constructing, managing, and exploiting Legal Bookshelves.

Article 10. Effective Date

This Decision shall take effect from April 2, 2010.

Article 11. Responsibility for Implementation

The Ministers, Heads of ministerial-level agencies, Heads of government agencies, Chairpersons of provincial People's Committees under the direct jurisdiction of the central government shall be responsible for implementing this Decision./.