The provisions of Article 35 of the Criminal Procedure Law

Legal analysis: Legal aid is free legal services such as consultation, agency and criminal defense obtained by citizens with financial difficulties and parties to special cases according to law. Legal aid is mainly provided to people with financial difficulties. The parties may apply to a legal aid institution or be designated by the people's court to obtain legal aid. The recipient does not need to pay any legal service fees when receiving assistance, and can obtain judicial assistance from the people's court hearing the case, that is, delay, reduce or exempt the litigation fees.

Legal basis: Article 35 of the Criminal Procedure Law of People's Republic of China (PRC). If a criminal suspect or defendant fails to entrust a defender due to financial difficulties or other reasons, he or his close relatives may apply to a legal aid institution. To meet the conditions of legal aid, legal aid institutions shall appoint lawyers to defend them.

If the criminal suspect or defendant is a mental patient who is blind, deaf, dumb or has not completely lost the ability to identify or control his own behavior, and has not entrusted a defender, the people's court, the people's procuratorate and the public security organ shall notify the legal aid institution to appoint a lawyer to defend him.

If a criminal suspect or defendant may be sentenced to life imprisonment or death without entrusting a defender, the people's court, the people's procuratorate and the public security organ shall notify the legal aid institution to appoint a lawyer to defend him.