ASEAN Law Forum 2026 to help strengthen AI application in legal, judicial activities

Hanoi (VNA) – The Vietnamese Ministry of Justice will host the ASEAN Law Forum 2026 on August 18–19, with a focus on applying artificial intelligence (AI) to law-making and law enforcement in the digital era.

Speaking to the press about the important event, Deputy Minister of Justice Nguyen Thanh Tinh said the ministry has chosen the theme because it is topical and aligned with global trends as well as the major orientations set by the Vietnamese Party and State on reforming law-making and law enforcement, developing science and technology, and advancing national digital transformation.

He said the forum is set to provide a platform for ASEAN countries to share practical experience and seek solutions for the safe and responsible application of AI, contributing to the development of a modern and transparent legal system capable of adapting to the demands of the digital era.

The forum will be held in Hanoi in an in-person format, with around 150 delegates expected to attend. They will include Vietnamese Government and ministry-level officials; leaders of the justice ministries and heads of the ASEAN Senior Law Officials Meeting (ASLOM) delegations of member states; representatives of the ASEAN Secretariat and the Economic Research Institute for ASEAN and East Asia (ERIA); ASEAN ambassadors to Vietnam; the EU ambassador to Vietnam; representatives of the embassies of ASEAN partner countries, including Japan, the Republic of Korea and China; and heads of representative offices of international organisations in Vietnam such as the UNDP, UNICEF and OECD.

The forum will bring together prominent leaders, speakers and experts from various countries for a series of discussions. It will provide an opportunity to share successful models and good practices, strengthen the digital capabilities of legal and judicial professionals, and step up regional cooperation in policy research, policy development and AI application.

The event is expected to contribute to a modern, harmonised and adaptive legal framework in response to emerging challenges in the digital era, towards an ASEAN Community with efficient and sustainable legal governance.

Tinh said the agenda has been designed to combine experience-sharing, policy exchanges and in-depth discussions. Key topics will include the current AI application to law-making and legal perfection; the development of national legal information portals; ASEAN countries’ experience in establishing legal frameworks for AI; AI-assisted access to law for citizens and businesses; generative AI in public administration; and ways to strengthen cooperation among ASEAN legal and judicial agencies.

Roundtable discussions will focus on emerging issues such as AI for digital government and harnessing the technology for smart governance, enabling experts to explore both the opportunities and challenges involved.

Vietnam wishes to work with other member countries to build an open ecosystem for cooperation, experience-sharing and mutual support so that AI can truly become a driver for improving the quality of law-making and law enforcement, contributing to the sustainable development of the ASEAN Community in the digital era, he said.

At the 2nd ASEAN-G7 Next Leaders Forum, held in Japan in September 2025, member states discussed and agreed that the application of AI to the legal and judicial sectors represents a new, important and promising area of cooperation.

Vietnam enacted its Law on Artificial Intelligence in December 2025, becoming one of the first countries in the world to adopt a dedicated law governing the field./.