Legal aid refers to a legal guarantee system in which legal aid agencies set up by the government organize legal aid lawyers to provide free legal services to the parties in financial difficulties or special cases. The conditions of legal aid can be divided into general conditions and special conditions.
(1) general conditions
The general provisions generally apply to citizens of China. Refers to China citizens who are really unable to pay the legal service fees due to financial difficulties and have sufficient reasons to prove that they need help to safeguard their legitimate rights and interests, and can apply for legal aid.
(2) Special conditions
Special conditions mainly refer to the special circumstances that defendants in criminal cases should have to obtain legal aid, including the following:
(1) Blind, deaf, dumb and minors are criminal defendants or criminal suspects. If the defendant may be sentenced to death without entrusting a defense lawyer, he should get legal aid;
(2) Other criminal defendants and suspects, such as the disabled and the elderly, who are unable to hire a defense lawyer due to financial difficulties, can obtain legal aid;
(3) In criminal cases, if the defendant of foreign nationality has not entrusted a defender and the court appoints a lawyer to defend him, he can get legal aid.