CONSITUTION
OF THE LAO PEOPLE'S DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC
CHAPTER
VIII
THE JUDICIAL ORGANS
A. The People’s Court
Article
65
People’s Courts are the judicial organ of the State consisting of
the People’s Supreme Court, the People’s Courts of provinces,
municipalities and districts and military courts.
Article 66
The People’s Supreme Court is the highest judicial organ of the
State.
The People’s Supreme Court reviews the decisions of the people’s
local courts and the military courts.
Article 67
The Vice-Presidents of the People’s Supreme Court and the judges
of the people’s courts at all levels are appointed or removed by
the National Assembly Standing Committee.
Article 68
The people’s courts make trials and pass sentence collectively.
During the trials and sentence, judges are independent and must act only
in accordance with the law.
Article 69
Court proceedings must be conducted in public, except in cases as prescribed
by law. The accused persons have the right to defend themselves.
The Board of legal Counselors have the right to provide legal assistance
to such accused persons.
Article 70
Representatives of social organizations have the right to take part in
court proceedings as provided by law.
Article 71
Judgments made by the people’s courts and having become legally
effective must be respected by all party, State and social organizations
and all citizens, persons and organizations concerned must strictly implement
them.
B.
The Offices of Public Prosecution
Article
72
The Offices of Public Prosecution consist of the Office of Public Prosecutor-General,
the Offices of Public prosecution of provinces, municipalities and districts,
and the Office of military prosecution.
The Offices of Public Prosecution have the following rights and duties:
1. To control the correct and unified observance of laws by all ministries,
organizations attached to the Government, mass organizations, social organizations,
local administrative organizations, enterprises, state employees and all
citizens.
2. To exercise the right of public prosecution.
Article 73
The Public Prosecutor-General directs the activities of all Offices of
Public Prosecution in the Lao People’s Democratic Republic.
The Deputy Public Prosecutor-General is appointed or removed by the National
Assembly Standing Committee.
Public Prosecutors and Deputy Public Prosecutors of provinces, municipalities
and districts and the military prosecutors are appointed or removed by
the public Prosecutor-General.
Article 74
In carrying out their duties, the Offices of Public Prosecution are subject
only to the law and the instructions of the Public Prosecutor-General.
CHAPTER
IX
LANGUAGE, SCRIPT, NATIONAL EMBLEM, NATIONAL FLAG,
NATIONAL ANTHEM AND CAPITAL CITY
Article
75
The Lao Language and Lao script are the official language and script.
Article 76
The National Emblem of the Lao People’s Democratic Republic is in
the form of a circle, with its lower part depicting one-half of a cog
wheel and a red ribbon with the inscription Lao People’s Democratic
Republic, framed on two sides with crescent-shaped ears of ripe rice with
a red ribbon stretched between the middle of the rice ears with the inscription
Peace, Independence, Democracy, Unity, Prosperity. A picture of That Luang
is located between the tips of the rice ears. A road, a paddy field, a
forest, and a hydroelectric dam are depicted in the middle of the form
of a circle.
Article 77
The National Flag of the Lao People’s Democratic Republic is a dark
blue background with red borders and a white moon. The width of the flag
is two-thirds of its length. The area of each of the red borders on each
side is one-half of the dark blue area. The area of the white moon is
equal to four-fifths of the dark blue area.
Article 78
The National Anthem of the Lao People’s Democratic Republic is Xat
Lao.
Article 79
The Capital city of the Lao People’s Democratic republic is Vientiane.
CHAPTER
X
FINAL PROVISIONS
Article
80
Only the National Assembly of the Lao People’s Democratic Republic
in session has the right to amend the Constitution.
The amendment to the Constitution requires the votes of approval of at
least two-thirds of the total number of the National Assembly members.
Acknowledgement:
Translation from Lao language; text from "Official Document"
published by the Lao PDR National Assembly, Vientiane, 1996.
Pages
3
|