A book on Vietnam’s Civil Code and its guiding documents is drawing flack for its cover which shows a smirking Vietnamese comedian holding the scales of justice while standing atop a fireball. Not only are people objecting to the image’s content, but the comedian says the image was used without his permission.
The book titled, Bo Luat Dan Su va Van Ban Huong Dan Thi Hanh 2014 (The Civil Code and Related Circulars 2014) was published by the Labor and Social Affairs Publishing House under the Ministry of Labor, Invalid, and Social Affairs earlier this year and features the scantily clad comedian Cong Ly (whose name translated to “justice” in Vietnamese) on its cover.
“I’m really shocked. How could the publisher use my photo without my consent or even prior notice? Worse, my face is depicted quite ridiculously,” complained Ly.
Supreme Court Judge, Pham Cong Hung, also took issue with the cover:
“I’m really at a loss why the publisher and its editors could allow this to happen. The act is indicative of an outrageous irony and blasphemy on the country’s civil legal system. Is the ridiculous image suggestive that the country’s entire legal system is no different than a comedian’s smile on a crude, patchy Photoshop work?”.
The publisher said that it was looking into the blunder and that it had sent out employees to collect the books.
[Tuoi Tre]
