Circular No. 53/2026/TT-BCA on the Activities of Legal Support within the People's Public Security Force

 

CIRCULAR

 

Regulations on Support for Judicial Activities within the People's Public Security Force

 

 

Based on Criminal Procedure Code No. 101/2015/QH13 amended and supplemented by Decree Nos. 02/2021/QH15, Decree Nos. 34/2024/QH15, Decree Nos. 59/2024/QH15, Decree Nos. 99/2025/QH15, Decree Nos. 103/2025/QH15, and Decree Nos. 105/2025/QH15;

Based on Criminal Execution Code No. 127/2025/QH15;

Based on Temporary Detention and Imprisonment and Prohibition of Departure from Place of Residence Code No. 128/2025/QH15;

Based on People's Court Organization Code No. 34/2024/QH15 amended by Decree No. 81/2025/QH15;

Based on People's Public Security Force Code No. 37/2018/QH14 amended and supplemented by Decree Nos. 21/2023/QH15, Decree Nos. 30/2023/QH15, Decree Nos. 38/2024/QH15, Decree No. 52/2024/QH15 and Decree No. 86/2025/QH15;

Based on Narcotics Control Code No. 120/2025/QH15;

Based on Juvenile Justice Code No. 59/2024/QH15 amended by Decree No. 85/2025/QH15;

Based on Decree No. 02/2025/NĐ-CP dated February 18, 2025 of the Government on Functions, Tasks, Powers and Organizational Structure of the Ministry of Public Security, amended by Decree No. 11/2025/NĐ-CP;

In accordance with the proposal of the Director of the Bureau of Temporary Detention, Custody and Community Execution;

The Minister of Public Security promulgates this Circular on support for judicial activities within the People's Public Security Force.

CHAPTER I

GENERAL PROVISIONS

Article 1. Scope of Application and Applicable Subjects

1. This Circular stipulates the activities of support for judicial activities within the People's Public Security Force, principles, responsibilities, powers, coordination relations, and conditions to ensure their implementation.

2. This Circular applies to public security units and localities, police officers and soldiers engaged in support for judicial activities within the People's Public Security Force, as well as other agencies, organizations, and individuals related thereto.

Article 2. Interpretation of Terms

In this Circular, the following terms are understood as follows:

1. Support for judicial activities is assistance and service to the activities of investigative authorities, temporary detention and imprisonment management agencies, prohibition of departure from place of residence agencies, and execution agencies in accordance with legal provisions.

2. Activities of support for judicial activities are professional activities of the People's Public Security Force, carried out by authorized bodies based on their functions, tasks, and powers to assist investigative authorities, temporary detention and imprisonment management agencies, prohibition of departure from place of residence agencies, and execution agencies during stages such as initiation of prosecution, investigation, public prosecution, trial, and enforcement. Such activities are defined in Article 4 of this Circular.

3. Support for judicial activity performing units include: Criminal Execution Police and Judicial Support Police, detention centers, sub-detention centers, police stations, towns, districts, special zones (hereinafter collectively referred to as grassroots public security), and other public security units assigned support for judicial activities.

Article 3. Principles of Support for Judicial Activities

1. Compliance with the Constitution, laws, and regulations of the Ministry of Public Security.

2. Ensuring compliance with legal provisions, safety, accuracy, and timeliness; ensuring the safety of authorized bodies and individuals engaged in support for judicial activities, as well as the lawful rights and interests of the State, agencies, organizations, and individuals related thereto.

Chapter II

SUPPORT FOR JUDICIAL ACTIVITIES, TRIBUNAL RESPONSIBILITIES AND COOPERATION RELATIONS

Article 4. Support for Judicial Activities

1. Safeguarding court proceedings, hearings, and resolution of cases or incidents as requested by the People's Court:

a) Safeguarding criminal trial sessions;

b) Safeguarding hearings, meetings, and resolutions of other cases or incidents when requested by the People's Court.

2. Execution of arrest, escort, and transfer duties:

a) Executing detention orders or decisions for suspects or defendants to be temporarily detained according to the decisions of the People's Procuratorate or competent People's Court;

b) Coordinating and executing escort duties for suspects or defendants; individuals on parole, suspended execution of sentence, or those with deferred enforcement of criminal penalties; individuals whose conditional early release from prison has been revoked;

persons ordered to serve a suspended sentence after serving an initial period of imprisonment; individuals undergoing mental health examination; individuals under temporary detention, temporary arrest, convicted criminals, death row inmates, and those subject to deportation. Executing orders for extraction and transfer decisions for temporarily detained or arrested individuals by competent authorities according to criminal procedure law, penal enforcement law, temporary detention and residence prohibition laws. Transporting individuals to compulsory education institutions, reformatories, drug rehabilitation centers. c) Executing escort duties for witnesses, victims, accusers, persons notified of initiation of prosecution, and legal representatives of corporate entities.

3. Supporting criminal and civil enforcement agencies:

a) Safeguarding the execution of civil enforcement actions;

b) Assisting in enforcing criminal or civil judgments, as well as other judgments prescribed by law according to requests from competent enforcement agencies under relevant laws and the Ministry of Public Security.

4. Executing death sentences.

5. Managing evidence storage and documentation at public security organs.

Article 5. Responsibilities in Support for Judicial Activities

1. Law enforcement personnel responsible for support activities under the Ministry of Public Security:

a) Fulfilling requests to safeguard court proceedings, temporarily detaining suspects or defendants according to decisions from competent authorities within the Supreme People's Court; escorting suspects or defendants in particularly serious and complex cases involving security and public order as directed by the Minister of Public Security; directly managing evidence storage at the Ministry of Public Security;

b) Directing, guiding, and inspecting compliance with legal provisions related to support activities' operational procedures;

c) Conducting preliminary reviews, comprehensive evaluations, and developing specialized professional theories in the field of support for judicial activities;

d) Detention centers under the Ministry of Public Security safeguarding online court proceedings where remote locations are managed by themselves; escorting suspects or defendants, individuals subject to enforcement, those temporarily detained or imprisoned, and those serving sentences at detention centers according to orders or decisions from competent authorities as per relevant laws.

2. Law enforcement personnel responsible for support activities under provincial public security organs implement requests from central, provincial, regional investigative agencies; temporary detention, imprisonment, and residence prohibition management agencies; criminal enforcement agencies in:

a) Safeguarding court proceedings, hearings, and resolutions of cases or incidents as requested by the People's Court;

b) Temporarily detaining suspects or defendants according to orders or decisions from competent authorities within the People's Courts;

c) Escorting individuals on parole or those detained outside their home province; individuals undergoing mental health examinations, temporarily detained, temporarily imprisoned, convicted criminals, death row inmates, and those subject to deportation. Executing extraction and transfer orders by competent authorities;

d) Escorting witnesses, victims, accusers, persons notified of initiation of prosecution, legal representatives of corporate entities in enforcing judgments according to decisions from competent authorities;

e) Directly executing death sentences as requested by the Execution Committee;

g) Managing evidence storage and documentation at provincial public security organs and regions according to relevant laws and the Ministry of Public Security.

3. Law enforcement personnel responsible for support activities under county-level public security organs have responsibilities in:

a) Escorting individuals on parole, those with suspended execution of sentence, those whose conditional early release from prison has been revoked, or those ordered to serve a suspended sentence after serving an initial period of imprisonment;

b) Escorting individuals subject to compulsory education institutions, compulsory educational reform centers, and drug rehabilitation centers;

c) Participating in maintaining social order and safety during the execution of death sentences and burial arrangements for executed individuals;

d) Maintaining social order and safety during civil enforcement actions;

e) Participating in safeguarding security and public order around court proceedings and hearings in their jurisdiction.

4. Detention centers, compulsory educational reform centers, reformatory schools, and drug rehabilitation centers are responsible for ensuring the security of court proceedings when conducting mobile trials at their units.

c) Participate in maintaining order and social safety at the place where the death penalty is carried out and at the place of interment of the person executed;

d) Ensure order and social safety during the enforcement of civil judgments by force;

đ) Participate in safeguarding security and order in the surrounding area outside the courtroom or session on the ground;

4. The detention facility, mandatory education institution, reformatory school, drug rehabilitation center shall ensure security for the trial when it is conducted on-site at the unit.

Article 6. Authority to Perform Judicial Support Activities

1. Judicial support activities under the Ministry of Public Security are carried out by the Criminal Investigation Department managing provisional detention, custody, and criminal execution in communities.

For escort duties at detention centers, the Ministry of Public Security's Criminal Investigation Department Office; National Security Investigation Bureau, Ministry of Public Security shall perform such tasks.

2. Judicial support activities under provincial public security organs are carried out by the Criminal Investigation Section for Execution and Judicial Support; detention center, sub-district detention facility.

3. Judicial support activities under district public security organs are performed by the district public security organs.

4. For the task of protecting court sessions in mobile trials at prisons, compulsory education facilities, reformatories, drug rehabilitation centers, the public security organ assigned to such tasks shall perform them.

Article 7. Coordination Relations in Judicial Support Activities

1. The relationship between judicial support personnel and government agencies, organs, units, organizations, individuals, and other units within the People's Public Security Force is a coordination relationship, unified in implementing tasks according to legal provisions and Ministry of Public Security regulations as follows:

a) When there are requests for judicial support activities from competent authorities or persons with authority, the commanding officer responsible for judicial support personnel shall implement such tasks in accordance with the provisions of this Circular Article 5;

b) Based on the specific nature of each judicial support activity requested by the competent authority or person, the judicial support personnel may request the competent authority or person to provide and exchange relevant information for the purpose of formulating a plan that is closely aligned with practical circumstances.

2. The Criminal Investigation Department managing provisional detention, custody, and criminal execution in communities; Criminal Investigation Section for Execution and Judicial Support; detention center, sub-district detention facility under provincial public security organs are the main forces responsible for performing judicial support tasks. Other units within the People's Public Security Force assigned to perform judicial support tasks shall proactively develop plans, strategies, allocate personnel, weapons, auxiliary tools, equipment, coordinate with judicial support personnel in executing their duties.

3. Personnel assigned to perform judicial support tasks are subject to unified command and coordination by the commanding officer responsible for judicial support personnel.

Chapter III

GUARANTEES FOR JUDICIAL SUPPORT ACTIVITIES

Article 8. Data Base on Judicial Support Activities

1. The Criminal Investigation Department managing provisional detention, custody, and criminal execution in communities; Criminal Investigation Section for Execution and Judicial Support; detention center, sub-district detention facility; and district public security organs are equipped with a data base system for judicial support activities to collect, store, process, protect, exploit, and utilize information related to judicial support activities.

2. The Criminal Investigation Department managing provisional detention, custody, and criminal execution in communities shall:

a) Organize management, inspection, and supervision of the exploitation and use of the data base for judicial support activities;

b) Develop regulations governing the operation and exploitation of the data base for judicial support activities;

c) Update and upgrade the judicial support data base; connect and share with business units under the Ministry of Public Security; connect and share with ministries and agencies (as necessary);

d) Coordinate with relevant units to ensure system stability, smooth operation, and security.

3. Public security organs at various levels shall manage, exploit, use, update judicial support data bases in a timely, accurate manner within their authority and responsibility, ensuring the safety of data at each level according to legal provisions and Ministry of Public Security regulations.

Article 9. Equipment, Management, and Use of Weapons, Supportive Tools, and Technical Operational Means When Performing Tasks

The task force supporting judicial assistance within the People's Public Security Force shall be equipped, manage, and use weapons, supportive tools, and technical operational means in accordance with the provisions of the law when performing tasks.

Article 10. Assurance of Financial Resources for Judicial Assistance Activities

The financial resources to ensure the activities of judicial assistance within the People's Public Security Force as stipulated in this Circular shall be sourced from the State budget and allocated in the budget forecast assigned by the Ministry of Public Security to the People's Public Security Forces at various units and localities in accordance with the provisions of the Law on State Budget, other lawful financial resources (if any) in accordance with the law.

Chapter IV

CONDITIONS OF IMPLEMENTATION

Article 11. Effective Date of Implementation

1. This Circular shall come into effect from July 1, 2026.

2. The Circular No. 46/2020/TT-BCA dated May 15, 2020, by the Minister of Public Security on activities of judicial assistance of the Criminal Police force and supporting judicial assistance within the People's Public Security Force shall cease to be effective from the date this Circular comes into effect.

3. In case any referenced document in this Circular is amended, supplemented, replaced or newly promulgated, the provisions referred to in this Circular shall also be implemented according to such amended, supplemented, replaced or newly promulgated documents.

Article 12. Implementation Responsibilities

1. The heads of subordinate units under the Ministry of Public Security and the Directors of Provincial People's Public Security Forces at centrally administered provinces/territories shall be responsible for directing, organizing the implementation of this Circular.

2. The Criminal Police Force Detachment for Custody Management, Pretrial Detention, and Community Execution is responsible for monitoring, guiding, urging, inspecting, and supervising the implementation of this Circular.

3. In the course of implementing this Circular, if any difficulties or obstacles arise, the People's Public Security Forces at various units and localities shall report to the Ministry of Public Security (through the Criminal Police Force Detachment for Custody Management, Pretrial Detention, and Community Execution) for timely guidance.