Criminal Procedure Law of the People's Republic of China
Chapter IV Defense and Agency
Article 32 A criminal suspect or defendant may, in addition to exercising the right of defense, entrust one or two persons as defenders. The following persons may be entrusted as defenders:
(1) lawyers;
(2) A person recommended by a people's organization or the unit to which the criminal suspect or defendant belongs;
(3) Guardians, relatives and friends of criminal suspects and defendants.
A person who has been sentenced to punishment according to law or deprived of or restricted personal freedom shall not act as a defender.
Article 33 A criminal suspect has the right to entrust a defender from the day when he is interrogated for the first time by the investigation organ or compulsory measures are taken. During the investigation, only lawyers can be entrusted as defenders. The defendant has the right to entrust a defender at any time.
When interrogating a criminal suspect for the first time or taking compulsory measures against him, the investigation organ shall inform him that he has the right to entrust a defender. The people's procuratorate shall, within three days from the date of receiving the case materials transferred for examination and prosecution, inform the criminal suspect that he has the right to entrust a defender. The people's court shall, within three days from the date of accepting the case, inform the defendant of the right to entrust a defender. If a criminal suspect or defendant requests to entrust a defender while in custody, the people's court, the people's procuratorate and the public security organ shall promptly convey it.
If a criminal suspect or defendant is in custody, his guardian or near relative may also entrust a defender.
After accepting the entrustment of a criminal suspect or defendant, the defender shall promptly inform the case-handling organ.
Article 34 If a criminal suspect or defendant fails to appoint a defender due to financial difficulties or other reasons, he or his near 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.
Article 35 A defender shall, according to facts and laws, put forward materials and opinions on the innocence, light crime or reduction or exemption of criminal responsibility of a criminal suspect or defendant, and safeguard the litigation rights and other legitimate rights and interests of the criminal suspect or defendant.
Article 36 A defense lawyer may provide legal aid to a criminal suspect during investigation; Acting as an agent for complaints and accusations; Apply for changing compulsory measures; Ask the investigation organ about the crimes and cases suspected by the criminal suspect, and put forward opinions.
Article 37 A defense lawyer may meet and correspond with a criminal suspect or defendant in custody. Other defenders, with the permission of the people's courts and people's procuratorates, may also meet and correspond with criminal suspects and defendants in custody.
If a defense lawyer holds a lawyer's practice certificate, a law firm's certificate, a power of attorney or a letter of legal aid to ask for a meeting with the criminal suspect or defendant in custody, the detention center shall arrange the meeting in time, which shall not exceed 48 hours at the latest.
In cases of crimes endangering national security, terrorist activities and particularly serious bribery crimes, defense lawyers should obtain permission from the investigation organ when meeting with the criminal suspect in custody during the investigation. The investigation organ shall notify the detention center of the above situation in advance.
When a defense lawyer meets a criminal suspect or defendant in custody, he can understand the case and provide legal advice. From the date when the case is transferred for examination and prosecution, the relevant evidence may be verified with the criminal suspect or defendant. Defense lawyers are not monitored when meeting with criminal suspects and defendants.
The provisions of paragraphs 1, 3 and 4 shall apply to the meetings and correspondence between defense lawyers and criminal suspects and defendants who are under surveillance.
Article 38 From the date of examination and prosecution by the People's Procuratorate, defense lawyers may consult, extract and copy the case files. Other defenders may also consult, extract and copy the above materials with the permission of the people's court or the people's procuratorate.
Article 39 Defenders who believe that the evidence materials collected by public security organs and people's procuratorates to prove the innocence or minor crimes of criminal suspects and defendants have not been submitted have the right to apply to the people's procuratorates and people's courts for retrieval.
Article 40 A defender shall promptly inform the public security organ and the people's procuratorate of the evidence that the criminal suspect is not at the scene of the crime, has not reached the age of criminal responsibility, and belongs to a mental patient who is not criminally responsible according to law.
Article 41 With the consent of witnesses or other relevant units and individuals, defense lawyers may collect materials related to this case from them, or apply to the people's procuratorate or the people's court to collect and obtain evidence, or apply to the people's court to notify witnesses to testify in court.
With the permission of the people's procuratorate or the people's court, and with the consent of the victim or his close relatives or witnesses provided by the victim, the defense lawyer may collect materials related to the case from them.
Article 42 A defender or other person shall not help a criminal suspect or defendant to conceal, destroy, forge evidence or collude in confession, and shall not threaten or induce witnesses to commit perjury or engage in other acts that hinder judicial proceedings.
Anyone who violates the provisions of the preceding paragraph shall be investigated for legal responsibility according to law. If a defender is suspected of committing a crime, it shall be handled by an investigation organ other than the investigation organ where the defender undertakes the case. If the defender is a lawyer, he shall promptly notify the law firm where he belongs or the lawyers association to which he belongs.
Article 43 During the trial, the defendant may refuse the defender to continue to defend him, or entrust another defender to defend him.
Article 44 The victims of public prosecution cases and their legal representatives or close relatives, and the parties involved in incidental civil actions and their legal representatives shall have the right to entrust agents ad litem from the date when the case is transferred for examination and prosecution. The private prosecutor and his legal representative in a case of private prosecution, and the parties to an incidental civil action and their legal representatives have the right to entrust an agent ad litem at any time.
The people's procuratorate shall, within three days from the date of receiving the case materials transferred for examination and prosecution, inform the victim and his legal representative or his near relatives, the parties involved in incidental civil litigation and his legal representative that he has the right to entrust an agent ad litem. The people's court shall, within three days from the date of accepting a case of private prosecution, inform the private prosecutor and his legal representative, the parties to an incidental civil action and his legal representative that they have the right to entrust an agent ad litem.
Article 45 Entrusting an agent ad litem shall be carried out with reference to the provisions of Article 32 of this Law.
Article 46 A defense lawyer shall have the right to keep confidential the relevant information and materials of his client that he knows in his practice. However, if the defense lawyer knows that the client or others are preparing or committing criminal acts that endanger national security, public security and seriously endanger the personal safety of others, he shall promptly inform the judicial organs.
Article 47 Defenders and agents ad litem who believe that public security organs, people's procuratorates, people's courts and their staff members hinder them from exercising their litigation rights according to law have the right to appeal or accuse to the people's procuratorates at the same level or at the next higher level. The people's procuratorate shall promptly review the complaint or accusation, and if the situation is true, notify the relevant authorities to correct it.