Vietnam’s Supreme People’s Court visits German courts

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Published: August 14, 2026
Centre: Nguyen Van Tien, Vice-President of the Supreme People’s Court of Vietnam; to his left: Dr Stefan Hülshörster, General Director of IRZ, and Prof. Dr Dr h.c. (NLU Kharkiv) Lars Brocker, President of the Constitutional Court of Rhineland-Palatinate and the Higher Administrative Court of Rhineland-Palatinate
Centre: Nguyen Van Tien, Vice-President of the Supreme People’s Court of Vietnam; to his left: Dr Stefan Hülshörster, General Director of IRZ, and Prof. Dr Dr h.c. (NLU Kharkiv) Lars Brocker, President of the Constitutional Court of Rhineland-Palatinate and the Higher Administrative Court of Rhineland-Palatinate
Vietnam

A seven-member delegation comprising judges and other experts from Vietnam’s Supreme People’s Court and subordinate courts visited courts in Koblenz and Frankfurt am Main in early August. The visit was prompted by ongoing reform discussions in Vietnam, where deliberations are currently taking place, amongst other things, on reforming the appeals system – in particular, on how appeals and levels of jurisdiction can be structured in a sensible and efficient manner. The delegation, led by Vice-President Nguyen Van Tien, used the opportunity to examine the German system to familiarise themselves with different models and discuss their practical implementation with German judges.

The professional exchange, organized by IRZ, began at the Higher Administrative Court of Rhineland-Palatinate in Koblenz with an insight into the German administrative judiciary. The programme included, amongst other things, the structure and function of the administrative courts, appeals and procedural filters, as well as the enforcement of administrative court decisions. Issues relating to legal costs and legal aid were also discussed.

At the Higher Regional Court of Koblenz, the focus then shifted to the civil judiciary. In addition to the structure and hierarchy of the German civil courts, particular attention was paid to the roles and working methods of the appellate courts.

The visit was not limited to theoretical insights: the delegation had several opportunities to observe oral hearings first-hand and to engage in discussions with the German judges about procedural processes and decision-making.

The visit concluded with a visit to the Higher Regional Court of Frankfurt am Main. Topics covered there included appeals in criminal proceedings – in particular appeals to the Federal Court of Justice and retrials – as well as the law of evidence in civil proceedings.

The study trip thus combined practical insight into German judicial practice with a comparative legal exchange on issues of particular significance for the ongoing reform deliberations in Vietnam. The dialogue on different models of the court system and appeals, as well as their practical application, provided valuable impetus for further discussion in Vietnam.