The ROLAG programme supports finalisation of the Law on Public Prosecutor Personnel

Through the Rule of law, access to justice and good governance (ROLAG) programme, LuxDev supported a high-level technical workshop to finalise the Law on Public Prosecutor Personnel, held on 7 and 8 July 2025 in Vang Vieng.

The workshop was organised by the National Assembly of Lao PDR to consolidate and integrate the comments and recommendations provided by members of the Assembly and key government stakeholders into a refined draft of the law. The review focused on the title, structure and substantive provisions of the law to ensure that they are in line with the national legal development priorities and the strategic objectives of the Legal Sector Master Plan (LSMP).

The workshop was chaired by H.E. Mrs. Sounthone XAYYACHAK, Vice President of the National Assembly, and attended by high-ranking officials and legal experts from the People’s Prosecutor’s Office, the Law Committee, the Ministry of Justice, the Offices of the President and Prime Minister, and senior representatives from line ministries and legislative departments.

In the opening speech, H.E. Mrs. Sounthone XAYYACHAK emphasised that the National Assembly had already approved the Law on Public Prosecutor Personnel during its 9th ordinary session on 26 June 2025 with a 97% approval rate. She added that the workshop was intended to validate the legal precision of the law, ensure that the law covers all aspects of the issue, and assess the practical application of the law, and thus, the importance of the law in enhancing the integrity, professionalism, and accountability of the national prosecutorial service.

As part of the technical component of the workshop, Dr. Reginald M. PASTRANA, senior sectoral advisor of the ROLAG Programme, made presentation of expert insights based on international best practices and comparative experiences in ASEAN. He also gave expert insights on prosecutorial standards, ethical frameworks, and personnel management systems that are relevant to the Lao context. He also highlighted the role of international knowledge exchange in the process of the national legislative development.

The workshop resulted in three major accomplishments :

• clarification and refinement of provisions :  the participants proposed important changes to make it clear the organisational mandates, to improve the legal terminology, and to make the law consistent with other laws and regulations;
• harmonisation to avoid legal conflicts : key provisions were reviewed to identify and resolve potential inconsistencies or ambiguities in order to safeguard effective and conflict-free implementation;
• enhanced alignment with international standards : the draft law was strengthened to reflect global norms on ethical conduct, prosecutorial accountability, and human resource development, reinforcing Lao PDR’s commitment to the rule of law.

The final draft of the Law on Public Prosecutor Personnel will be put in a consolidation process before it is promulgated. Once enacted, it will serve as a foundational legal instrument contributing to enhanced professionalism, legal integrity, and institutional transparency in the justice sector.

This initiative is an example of the strong collaboration between the Government of Lao PDR and LuxDev, through the ROLAG programme, in support of a transparent, accountable, and inclusive justice system based on the principles of the rule of law and good governance.

The ROLAG Programme is financed by the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg and jointly implemented by the Ministry of Justice, the Ministry of Education and Sports, LuxDev, the Luxembourg Development Cooperation Agency, ILSTA and the University of Luxembourg.