The Hoang Viet Code of the Nguyen Dynasty: Interpretation, guidance in applying the law, and values for references

Abstract

Historically, in the Nguyen dynasty, in addition to promulgating laws, the State also focused on interpreting and guiding their application, as evidenced by the Hoang Viet Code, the official written code of law promulgated by the dynasty during its period of independence and autonomy. The unique feature of the lawmaking technique of this code is that it includes interpretation and guidance on the application of the law, which not only clarifies the regulations and facilitates the process of implementing and applying the law but also ensures consistency between law application and the will of the legislators. In current practice, the interpretation and guidance on law application have yet to receive adequate attention, resulting in inconsistent and ineffective understanding, application and enforcement. This article studies the interpretation of the Hoang Viet Code of the Nguyen Period, highlights reference values that may contribute to improving the efficiency and quality of legal interpretation and provides guidance on applying law in contemporary Vietnam.