Delegates from the High Court Enforcement Officers Association (HCEOA) were invited to Viet Nam to share their expertise as key speakers in a conference on enforcement.
HCEOA Vice Chair, Michael Jackson, and Treasurer, Alan Smith, have been working closely with the Viet Nam Ministry of Justice and British Embassy since September 2023 on a project focussed on knowledge sharing and best practice.
The project culminated in the Viet Nam Ministry of Justice’s conference, Workshop to Improve the Efficiency of Asset Recovery in Corruption and Economic Cases in Viet Nam - Experience from the UK, in Ho Chi Minh City on the 14th March 2024.
Both Michael and Alan delivered speeches on behalf of HCEOA as leaders in their field, sharing their expertise from decades spent working in the enforcement profession in England and Wales.
Previously, the project included hosting representatives from Viet Nam in London in September 2023, as well as online sharing sessions in the months leading up to the conference.
Michael Jackson, Vice Chair of HCEOA, said: “It’s been an honour to be involved with this project from the outset, and being able to discuss enforcement in Ho Chi Minh City was definitely a highlight and something I won’t forget.
“We’ve been able to share our experience and current practices in a range of areas, covering everything from the different types of enforcement in England and Wales, to professional standards and dealing with vulnerability, and everything in between.
“I hope this is a relationship that will continue, and I’ll look forward to staying in touch with the enforcement professionals we’ve met on this journey to continue our collaboration.”
Alan Smith, Treasurer of HCEOA, said: “It’s always valuable to hear other perspectives and myself and Michael certainly had our own stories and experiences to share.
“With the technology available to us, international cooperation is easier than ever and it has been useful to share best practice and see how other countries approach enforcement.”
The British Embassy and the Viet Nam Ministry of Justice co-hosted the ‘Enhancement of efficiency of asset recovery in corruption and economic cases in Vietnam - Experience from UK’ Workshop on 14 March with the attendance of 70 participants from the Civil Judgement Enforcement Directorate, the Supreme Court, the Supreme People's Procuracy, and local Civil Judgement Enforcement departments in the south.
Opening the workshop, Vice Minister of Justice Mai Luong Khoi highlighted that following the 50th anniversary of the establishment of the bilateral diplomatic relations, the judicial co-operation between Viet Nam and the UK continued to be strengthened and such activities contributed greatly to the judicial reform of our two countries.
British Consul General, Emily Hamblin added, “This event is a milestone on the UK-Viet Nam co-operation in judicial affairs and complement the UK cooperation with Viet Nam on joint law enforcement operations and on other areas, such as our partnership on economic and financial issues and in particular our trade and investment co-operation.”
