Article 33 of the Criminal Procedure Law A criminal suspect shall have the right to appoint a defender from the date of his first interrogation by the investigating authorities or the adoption of compulsory measures; during the period of investigation, he may only appoint a lawyer as his defender. The defendant has the right to appoint a defender at any time.
Article 35 The duty of a defender is to put forward, in accordance with the facts and the law, materials and opinions on the innocence or mitigated guilt of the criminal suspect or defendant, or on the mitigation or exemption of his criminal responsibility, and to safeguard the procedural rights and other lawful rights and interests of the criminal suspect or defendant.
Article 36 A defense lawyer may, during the period of investigation, provide legal assistance to a criminal suspect; represent the criminal suspect in a complaint or indictment; apply for a change of coercive measures; and learn from the investigating authorities about the charges of which the criminal suspect is suspected and the relevant circumstances of the case, and give his or her opinion thereon.
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 court or the people's procuratorate, may also meet and correspond with the criminal suspect or defendant in custody.