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.

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.

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