ASEAN Law Resources: Lao PDR

A. Legislature

National Assembly of the Lao People's Democratic Republic
Information on the functions of the National Assembly. Full texts of legislation are currently only in Lao.

B. Laws

Compilation of Constitutional and Legislative Provisions on Treaty Practice of the Lao People's Democratic Republic
This compilation, which includes the full text of the Lao constitution, was published by the Centre for International Law, NUS and the British Institute of International and Comparative Law (last amended Dec 2012). Click on "More information" tab at the bottom of the page for the compilation.

Lao Laws
Translations of Lao laws in the Attached Documents were previously published on the website of the Embassy of the Republic of Singapore in Vientiane in 2015.

Lao Official Gazette
Maintained by the Ministry of Justice, this is the official source for primary and subsidiary legislation of general application at the national, provincial and capital levels. Click on the American flag at the top right hand corner for an English translation of the website. You may search for legislation in English but texts are only available in Lao.

Lao Services Portal: Legal Documents
Laws, guidelines and decrees relating to trade and investment in services. Published by the Foreign Trade Policy Department, Ministry of Industry and Commerce.

National Assembly of the Lao PDR: Legislation
Official laws made available by the National Assembly but only in Lao.
 

C. Treaties

IHL Databases: Treaties and States Parties - Lao People's Democratic Republic
International humanitarian treaties to which Laos is a party. Published by the International Committee of the Red Cross..

International Investment Agreements Navigator : Lao PDR
Investment agreements that Laos is a party to. Published on the Investment Policy Hub, UNCTAD.

United Nations Treaties Series Online
To obtain a listing of UN treaties to which Laos is a party, select Lao People's Democratic Republic as a participant from the menu and click Search.

The People's Supreme Court of the Lao People's Democratic Republic (this page is currently not available)
Information on the Supreme Court and selected cases in Lao.

Cases in international courts/tribunals:

ICSID Cases where Lao PDR is either Claimant or Respondent:

• Sanum Investments Limited v. Lao People’s Democratic Republic (ICSID Case No. ADHOC/17/1)
• Lao Holdings N.V. v. Lao People’s Democratic Republic (ICSID Case No. ARB(AF)/16/2)
• Lao Holdings N.V. v. Lao People’s Democratic Republic (ICSID Case No. ARB(AF)/12/6)
  For more cases, search the ICSID database.

Background on the Establishment of Administrative Court Chamber in Lao People's Democratic Republic
Book published by the Administrative Court of Thailand.

Customary Law and Practise in Lao PDR
Book published in 2011 by the Ministry of Justice with support from UNDP.

Lao National Survey on Women's Health and Life Experiences 2014 : A Study on Violence against Women
The study forms part of a larger set of actions by the Lao PDR National Commission for the Advancement of Women and the United Nations to promote the prevention of violence and combat domestic violence against women. Report includes recommendations for the government, communities and international partners, including fully implementing key existing laws and policies.

Lao People's Democratic Republic: Access to Justice for Children
"This report is part of CRIN's access to justice for children project, looking at the status of the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) in national law, the status of children involved in legal proceedings, the legal means to challenge violations of children’s rights and the practical considerations involved in challenging violations." (Jun 2015)

The Law-Making Process in Lao PDR: A Baseline Study
Joint publication of the Ministry of Justice and UNDP Lao PDR (2015)

Legal Preparedness for Responding to Disasters and Communicable Disease Emergencies: Study Report: Lao PDR
Study published by the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, and the Asian Development Bank in 2009.

OECD Investment Policy Reviews: Lao PDR
Published in April 2017, this review contains useful information, including chapters on:

• Corporate Governance in Lao PDR
• The Legal Framework for Investment in Lao PDR
• Regulatory Restrictions on FDI in Lao PDR.

A selection of current books with chapters on Lao law are listed below. Unless otherwise stated, books are located in the Law Library.

For more books, search the library catalogue, LINC: