Laws on Usufruct Rights in Vietnam in the 15th Century and Lessons Learned for Today

Objective: The purpose of this article is to present the current state of the law on usufruct rights, to recognize the advanced values of the regulations on usufruct rights in the 2015 Civil Code. Theoretical Framework: The provision on usufruct rights is included in the 2015 Civil Code of Vietnam is not a completely new provision in the contemporary Vietnam laws. Usufruct right regime was recognized through 04 civil codes promulgated by the old regimes in the years 1888, 1931, 1939, 1972. However, through researching the laws of the feudal period, the author finds a provision similar to usufruct rights, which was recorded many years ago in Vietnam: the provision on the right to exploit and use the property of others in the Hong Duc Code, promulgated in the 15th century. Method: By using the perspective of selectively inheriting traditional values of Vietnamese national history, using historical methods and comparative methods to study the provisions on usufruct rights in the Hong Duc Code, the author presents the current status of the law on usufruct rights, recognizes the progressive values of such rights in the 2015 Civil Code. Result and Discussion: The article serves as an additional source of documents and new information for those interested in usufruct rights in the Hong Duc Code of Vietnam; affirms that there are many progressive points on usufruct rights in the Hong Duc Code: respecting and acknowledging the principle of equality, protecting the rights of women and children. Originality/Value: This article is the first one that focusing on usufruct rights within the Vietnamese acient law. Through this article, the author hope to improve current laws for better protecting the rights of the disadvantaged in a family, encouraging actions to protect public properties, and increasing the provision of additional economic resources to the economy.