Is the subject of defense right the defender or the criminal suspect or defendant?

The legal owner of the right to defend is the criminal suspect or defendant in the case, and lawyers and other defenders are only entrusted by the criminal suspect or defendant to represent the defense subject.

Legal basis:

Article 11 of the "Criminal Procedure Law" stipulates that the hearing of cases by the People's Court shall be conducted in public, unless otherwise provided in this law. The defendant has the right to obtain a defense, and the People's Court has the obligation to ensure that the defendant obtains a defense.

Article 14 of the "Criminal Procedure Law" stipulates that the people's courts, people's procuratorates and public security organs shall guarantee the defense rights and other litigation rights enjoyed by criminal suspects, defendants and other litigation participants in accordance with the law.

You can entrust defenders, relatives and friends.

Article 32 of the "Criminal Procedure Law": In addition to exercising the right of defense, criminal suspects and defendants may also entrust one or two people as defenders. The following people can be entrusted as defenders:

(1) Lawyers;

(2) People recommended by people's organizations or the unit where the criminal suspect or defendant works;

< p>(3) Guardians, relatives and friends of criminal suspects and defendants.