Learning from Japan’s Legal System to Develop the Legal Sector in Laos: Interview with JICA Student
JICA is implementing the “JICA Development Graduate School Cooperation Program” in cooperation with Japanese universities to develop human resources who will become future leaders in various fields in developing countries. Under this program, about 1,000 international students from developing countries are accepted into Japanese graduate schools each year, contributing to the development of human resources and the expansion and strengthening of the foundation of friendly relations with the sending countries. After returning to their home countries, these students are expected to become future leaders and core human resources who will contribute to the development of their countries, and in fact many of them are active in various fields in their home countries.
This article focuses particularly on JICA students in the field of law in Laos, and looks at how JICA’s cooperation in accepting foreign students is having a positive effect. We interviewed both returnee students who are currently active in their home country of Laos and current students who are still studying in Japan.
I found the right country to go to” Japanese Legal System Suitable for Laos “When I wanted to get a master’s degree abroad, I found that the Japanese legal system was very suitable for Laos. I thought I had finally found the right country to go to, so I applied for the JICA study abroad program. I thought I had finally found the right country to go to, so I applied for the JICA study abroad program,” said Mr. Bunthar Songyuthao, Deputy Minister of the Lao Ministry of Justice.
Vice Minister Bunter first came to Japan as a JICA student in 2001. After six months of Japanese language study, which was part of the program at the time, he enrolled in the Graduate School of Law at Nagoya University and received his Master’s degree in 2004. Upon returning to Japan, he utilized the knowledge of the lawmaking process he had learned in Japan and was involved in the review and enactment of legislation as chief of the Criminal Investigation Bureau of the Ministry of Justice. He continued to serve as Deputy Secretary of the Cabinet and Director of the Personnel Bureau before becoming Deputy Minister of Justice in 2021. His main responsibilities include the dissemination of the law and human resource development in the judicial field.
My Japanese professors and friends were always on hand to help me with my studies and daily life. I will never forget how they surprised me with a bouquet of flowers and lifted me up on their shoulders at the completion ceremony of my graduate school. I still keep in touch with my friends from that time.
There are more than 10 former international students like Deputy Minister Bunter who completed their graduate studies in Japan through JICA’s study abroad program and are now working in the Lao Ministry of Justice. They all worked diligently and developed the legal system, referring to the Japanese legal system as well. In particular, the Civil Code and the Code of Civil Procedure have had a great impact on the Lao legal system. Laos is still a backward country in the field of law. I think it is very good for the development of the legal field in Laos that foreign students continue to learn and come back”. Deputy Minister Bunter has high expectations for current and future international students.
Two Young Lawyers Pursuing Their Own Paths, Also Experiencing Internship at JICA Arisaman Pommachan and Somboon Hosakul are current international students studying at the Graduate School of Law, Keio University. Both are studying in Japan through JICA’s study abroad program from 2021 after practicing as lawyers in Laos.
“Working in Laos as an attorney, I provide legal services to Japanese clients and sometimes work with Japanese lawyers. I thought that learning about Japanese law and legal affairs would help me improve my skills,” said Arithaman.
I wanted to study in Japan like them, and my dream came true thanks to the JICA program. I wanted to be like them, so I decided to study in Japan, and my dream came true thanks to the JICA program.
Arithaman is interested in the independence of the Lawyers Association as an NGO, and is studying its activities, significance of its existence, and relationship with the Ministry of Justice in graduate school. According to the provisions of Lao law, lawyers are not subject to intervention by government authorities, but the Lao Bar Association (LBA) is not independent from the Ministry of Justice as the Japan Federation of Bar Associations (JFBA) is. I would like to contribute to the development of the LBA upon my return to Laos by making use of what I learned in Japan.”
Somboon is pursuing research on how to resolve land disputes under Lao law. He hopes to continue his studies through a doctoral program and teach at the Faculty of Law in the future. In Japan, law enforcement is very strict, but in Laos it is still lax. There are still violations of road traffic laws that threaten the lives and property of citizens, noise problems, tax evasion, and other acts that ignore the law. Our ultimate goal is to create a legal system that helps the poor.”
They are scheduled to complete their graduate studies this September, but prior to that, they participated in an internship with JICA’s Law and Justice team this past February. As part of the program, they were able to do internships at the Japan Federation of Bar Associations (JFBA) and the International Cooperation Department (ICD) of the Ministry of Justice, where they learned about the wide range of activities of JICA and ICD, including legal assistance to developing countries, and at JFBA they were able to observe a trial and exchange opinions with the lawyers in the organization. She says she looks forward to continuing to deepen exchanges with members of JICA, ICD, and the Japan Federation of Bar Associations.
© Source JICA
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