Civil Code. Country/Territory Lao, People's Dem. Rep. Document type Legislation Date 2019 Source FAO, FAOLEX Subject Agricultural & rural development, Livestock, Forestry, Land & soil, Water, Wild species & ecosystems, General Keyword Business/industry/corporations Contract/agreement Gender Human rights Abandoned land/unoccupied land Agricultural land Community management Cooperative/producer organization Credit Equipment Land tenure Lease Ownership Smallholders/peasants Public forest Common property Inheritance Liability/compensation Private land Property rights Public land Right of use Servitude Transfer Use restrictions Groundwater Inland waters Rainwater Water abstraction Water rights Waterworks Well sinking/boreholes Aquatic animals Non-timber products Geographical area Asia, Asia and the Pacific, Landlocked Developing Nations, Least Developed Countries, South-Eastern Asia Abstract On 11 May 2020, the Civil Code was published in the Lao Official Gazette, to be effective from 26 May 2020. The Civil Code replaces and repeals civil and commercial laws containing similar provisions, including the Law on Contract and Tort, Law on Family, Law on Property, Law on Succession, and Law on Secured Transactions. According to article 1, this Civil Code defines principles, regulations and measures related to establishment, variation and termination of rights and obligations of individuals, juristic persons and organisations in order to ensure equality, justice, legality, peacefulness and social orders by aiming at the protection of rights and the legitimated interests of individuals, juristic persons, organisations, State and collectives; contributing to respond the needs of tangible and intangible materials of citizens; maintaining of the unity of all Lao ethnics and fine national customary practices, and strengthening the social-economic development. Article 10 establishes the principle of equality before the law: parties to the civil relationship have an equal right before the Law regardless of genders, ages, occupations, economic positions, society, levels of education, belief, religions and ethnics. Full text English