Constitutional and Legal Reforms

The Eighth Congress of the Lao People’s Revolutionary Party in 2006 announced the goal of establishing a ‘rule-of-law state’ in the Lao People’s Democratic Republic (Lao PDR). To streamline national efforts towards this goal, in 2009 the government adopted the Master Plan on Development of the Rule of Law in the Lao P.D.R. Toward the Year 2020 . Since then, Lao PDR has repeatedly emphasised this long-term goal through national policies, media and international forums. In this context, this chapter tackles the question of whether Lao PDR has made progress in establishing a state based on rule-of-law principles. The chapter addresses this question in two parts. First, it summarises prominent constitutional and legal reforms and challenges over the past decade, demonstrating progress towards a rule-of-law state while also highlighting the non-implementation of well-articulated ‘law in books.’ Second, in evaluating these reforms, the chapter underscores the power of normative reforms as a potential driving force to take Lao PDR closer to establishing a rule-of-law state.