This Issue of the Asian Journal of Comparative Law (AsJCL) has a special focus on Vietnamese constitutional law. I would like to thank and congratulate the Special Guest Editor, Dr Ngoc Son Bui, for masterfully weaving together a series of articles and commentaries which illuminate the dynamic autochthonous developments in Vietnamese constitutional law, while at the same time skilfully situating them within the wider Asian and comparative law literature. Providing such an in-depth local analysis of an important legal phenomena in Asia and then utilizing such knowledge to advance the wider comparative law literature is precisely what the AsJCL aims to achieve.
This Issue further seeks to pique the interest of comparative constitutional law scholars by including three reviews of important new books in the field. Although the books employ distinct methodological approaches and cover different jurisdictions, collectively they highlight the increasing importance of comparative law as a lens for understanding constitutional law in Asia and around the world. Indeed, even the book on Singapore constitutional law, which could have employed a purely domestic analysis, is replete with comparative law analyses.
This Issue also includes two articles that fall outside the field of constitutional law: one on gender neutrality in the Indian rape law and another on competing family law norms in Hong Kong. These articles have been included in this Issue as the AsJCL is committed to ensuring that it remains the leading forum for publishing important and timely legal scholarship that addresses issues impacting Asia.
Finally, I would like to sincerely thank the AsJCL’s Executive Editors (Kevin YL Tan and Wang Jiangyu), Deputy Editor (Dian AH Shah), Assistant Editors (KarLuis Quek, Samantha Tang, and Wilson Tay), and the 21 Subject Editors at leading law schools across Asia for their valuable contributions to the editorial process. Without these contributions, this Issue would not have come to be.
We hope you enjoy reading this Issue as much as we enjoyed working on it.
