According to the provisions of Article 31 of the Lawyers Law of People's Republic of China (PRC), lawyers who act as defenders shall, according to facts and laws, put forward materials and opinions on whether criminal suspects and defendants are innocent, light in crime or relieved or exempted from criminal responsibility, so as to safeguard the legitimate rights and interests of criminal suspects and defendants.
Article 32 A client may refuse his entrusted lawyer to continue to defend or represent him, and at the same time, he may entrust another lawyer to act as a defender or agent. After accepting the entrustment, a lawyer shall not refuse to defend or represent without justifiable reasons. However, if the entrusted matter is illegal, the client uses the services provided by the lawyer to engage in illegal activities, or the client deliberately conceals important facts related to the case, the lawyer has the right to refuse to defend or represent him.
Article 33 From the day when the criminal suspect is interrogated for the first time by the investigation organ or compulsory measures are taken, the entrusted lawyer has the right to meet the criminal suspect and defendant with the lawyer's practice certificate, the certificate of law firm, the power of attorney or the official letter of legal aid to learn about the relevant situation. Lawyers are not monitored when they meet criminal suspects and defendants.
Article 34 An entrusted lawyer shall have the right to consult, extract and copy the litigation documents and files related to the case from the date when the case is examined and prosecuted. The entrusted lawyer has the right to consult, extract and copy all materials related to the case from the date when the people's court accepts the case.
Article 38 A lawyer shall keep the state secrets and business secrets he knows in his practice, and shall not disclose the privacy of his clients.
Lawyers should keep confidential the information and materials that their clients and others are unwilling to disclose in their practice activities. However, criminal facts and information that endanger national security, public safety and other serious personal and property safety of others are not included.