In a recent report to the National Assembly, Chief Justice of the Supreme People's Court, Le Minh Tri, shared key statistics regarding the judiciary’s efforts in handling corruption and economic crime cases.

From October 1, 2024 to March 31, 2025, courts across Vietnam recovered more than 32.399 trillion VND (approx. 1.3 billion USD) in assets and funds from 71 major economic and corruption cases.

Of these, 50 cases involving 243 defendants saw voluntary restitution totaling over 30.321 trillion VND (approx. 1.2 billion USD), reflecting a notable increase in asset recovery efforts.

Corruption trials see sharp increase

During the six-month reporting period, courts received 3,399 first-instance corruption and economic crime cases involving 8,297 defendants.

They adjudicated 2,216 cases involving 4,620 individuals, up 537 cases and 866 defendants compared to the same period in 2024.

Appellate courts handled 878 cases with 2,116 defendants and resolved 448 of them. For supervisory reviews and retrials, 12 cases with 21 defendants were filed, and two were concluded.

The report highlighted the increasingly complex and severe nature of corruption, particularly in sectors such as securities, corporate bond issuance, public procurement, and healthcare.

The judiciary applied severe penalties to ringleaders and officials who abused their power for personal gain. In addition to imprisonment, courts ordered asset confiscation, property freezing, and other legal and supplementary measures to recover stolen funds.

In total, verdicts ordered asset recovery in 71 cases involving 336 defendants. Among these, 50 cases resulted in voluntary restitution of misappropriated assets.

High-profile cases under Central Steering Committee oversight

Cases monitored by the Central Steering Committee on Anti-Corruption accounted for 1,201 filings involving 2,373 defendants. Of these, 756 cases with 1,672 defendants were resolved across trial levels.

Courts worked closely with central prosecution agencies to address procedural challenges in major cases, including those involving Phuc Son Group, Vietnam Electricity (EVN), Vietnam Tea Corporation, and Thai Duong Group.

Many of these cases involved massive financial losses and received widespread public attention, with the courts praised for handling them with rigor and transparency.

Spike in administrative lawsuits against local governments

Courts also dealt with a surge in civil, commercial, family, and labor disputes. A total of 334,716 cases were filed, with 164,006 resolved, reflecting a 49% settlement rate.

Most disputes related to land use, inheritance, loans, and credit agreements. No case exceeded its legal resolution deadline due to subjective reasons.

In administrative litigation, courts accepted 9,878 cases and resolved 3,542, with 7,029 lawsuits naming provincial or district-level People’s Committees or chairpersons as defendants. Among these, 2,360 were resolved.

Administrative cases mostly stemmed from disputes over land management decisions. Courts emphasized dialogue-based resolution and ensured timely processing without delay caused by internal factors. Online hearings were also expanded to reduce absenteeism and procedural delays.

Nguyen Thao