Article 2 of the Provisions on Legal Aid in Criminal Procedure stipulates that if a criminal suspect or defendant fails to entrust a defender due to financial difficulties, his close relatives may apply for legal aid from the legal aid institutions affiliated to the judicial administrative organs at the same level where the public security organs, people's procuratorates and people's courts are located.
Under any of the following circumstances, if a criminal suspect or defendant fails to entrust a defender, he may apply for legal aid in accordance with the provisions of the preceding paragraph:
(a) there is evidence to prove that the criminal suspect or defendant belongs to the first or second degree of intellectual disability;
(2) In the same criminal case, other criminal suspects and defendants have entrusted defenders;
(3) The people's procuratorate lodged a protest;
(4) The case has a significant social impact.
Article 9 If a criminal suspect or defendant fails to entrust a defender under any of the following circumstances, the public security organ, the people's procuratorate and the people's court shall, within 3 days from the date of discovering the situation, notify the legal aid institution affiliated to the local judicial administrative organ at the same level to defend its appointed lawyer:
(1) Minors;
(2) Blind, deaf and dumb;
(3) Mental patients who have not completely lost the ability to recognize or control their own behavior;
(4) Persons who may be sentenced to life imprisonment or death.