Legal basis: Criminal Procedure Law of People's Republic of China (PRC).
Article 33 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.
A person who has been dismissed from public office or has his lawyer's or notary's practice certificate revoked may not act as a defender, except the guardian or near relative of the criminal suspect or defendant.
Article 187 After the people's court decides to hold a hearing, it shall determine the members of the collegial panel and serve a copy of the indictment of the people's procuratorate to the defendant and his defender ten days before the hearing.
Before the trial, the judge may convene the public prosecutor, the parties, the defenders and the agents ad litem to understand the issues related to the trial, such as withdrawal, the list of witnesses appearing in court, and the exclusion of illegal evidence, and listen to opinions.
After the people's court determines the date of the hearing, it shall notify the people's procuratorate of the time and place of the hearing, summon the parties, and notify the defenders, agents ad litem, witnesses, expert witnesses and translators. Summons and notices should be served at least three days before the trial. For a case to be tried in public, the cause of action, the name of the defendant, the time and place of the court session shall be announced in advance three days before the court session.
The above activities shall be recorded in the record and signed by the judges and the clerk.