JICA’s Legal Technical Assistance Projects in Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos Since the 1990s

Many have written in English about the legislative and judicial systems of Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos. Fewer English writing commentators have investigated the modern legal histories of these jurisdictions. In particular, scant attention has been paid to a common feature in their recent development, the arguably pervasive influence of Japanese private law. Since the 1990s, the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) has played a major role in the modernisation of law in the region. Through its legal technical assistance projects, JICA has provided support for the reform of codes and the training of lawyers in the use of those codes. This research critically examines JICA’s contribution to the rule of law in the former French Indochina region. It considers whether Japanese soft power (as manifested by JICA) complements or is at cross-purposes with projects of other organisations and initiatives (such as Asian Development Bank (ADB) and the World Bank). It evaluates the extent to which JICA’s work is currently attuned to or might be made more responsive to the social and economic aspirations of the relevant countries.