Legal basis: Criminal Procedure Law of People's Republic of China (PRC).
Article 35 If a criminal suspect or defendant fails to appoint a defender due to financial difficulties or other reasons, he or his near relatives may apply to a legal aid institution. To meet the conditions of legal aid, legal aid institutions shall appoint lawyers to defend them. If the criminal suspect or defendant is a mental patient who is blind, deaf, dumb or has not completely lost the ability to identify or control his own behavior, and has not entrusted a defender, the people's court, the people's procuratorate and the public security organ shall notify the legal aid institution to appoint a lawyer to defend him. If a criminal suspect or defendant may be sentenced to life imprisonment or death without entrusting a defender, the people's court, the people's procuratorate and the public security organ shall notify the legal aid institution to appoint a lawyer to defend him.
Thirty-sixth legal aid institutions can send lawyers on duty in people's courts, detention centers and other places. If the criminal suspect or defendant does not entrust a defender or the legal aid institution does not entrust a lawyer to defend him, the lawyer on duty will provide legal assistance to the criminal suspect or defendant, such as legal consultation, suggestions on procedure selection, application for changing compulsory measures, and suggestions on handling cases. The people's courts, people's procuratorates and detention centers shall inform the criminal suspects and defendants that they have the right to meet the lawyers on duty, and provide convenience for the criminal suspects and defendants to meet the lawyers on duty.