Law on Court’s Fees is on consideration at NA session

Members of the National Assembly (NA) on 25 December debated the proposed Law on Court’s Fees with the aim of amending it to suit the prevailing situation.

            NA members deliberated how to adjust the structure to be precise and understandable, expressing debate on the revision and adjustment of the law structure.

            The session deliberated document fee and other fees described in Articles 20-31. NA members paid attention to consider the 2-percent tax of a lawsuit fee. They mentioned that the Law on Court’s Fees was adopted and promulgated in 1990, when the economic growth differed from that in 2006.  In 1990 Lao kip stood at 700 kip to the U.S dollar, but today at 10,000 kip to the U.S dollar. The living cost and goods price in market increases. This puts impact on the court fee rate determined in the law, which suits the economic situation in the 1990s, but not today. Therefore, the structure, chapters and articles of the Law on Court’s Fees must be adjusted and amended.

During the past 16 years the people’s courts have applied the Law on Court’s Fees. The law has facilitated the judgment and judgment enforcement and ensured revenue for the state budget. Even though the law brought several benefits to the society, it must be amended in order to be more suitable to the prevailing socio-economic situation of the country.       

The law amendment is in accordance with the 2005-2006 plan of the National Assembly’s Standing Committee. The sub-committee for the law amendment cooperated with the People’s Supreme Court to draft the law. The draft law comprising seven Chapters and 43 Articles, has been under consideration and debated in many meetings of all levels.