Article 32 of the Criminal Law stipulates that a criminal suspect or defendant may entrust one or two persons as defenders in addition to exercising the right of defense. The following persons may be entrusted as defenders:
(1) lawyers;
(2) A person recommended by a people's organization or the unit to which the criminal suspect or defendant belongs;
(3) Guardians, relatives and friends of criminal suspects and defendants.
A person who has been sentenced to punishment according to law or deprived of or restricted personal freedom shall not act as a defender.
Article 33 A criminal suspect has the right to entrust a defender from the day when he is interrogated for the first time by the investigation organ or compulsory measures are taken. During the investigation, only lawyers can be entrusted as defenders. The defendant has the right to entrust a defender at any time.
The following persons of criminal suspects in criminal cases have the right to entrust lawyers:
1, the suspect or the defendant himself;
2. The legal representative of the criminal suspect or defendant ("legal representative" refers to the parents, adoptive parents, guardians and representatives of the organs and organizations responsible for protection);
3. Close relatives of criminal suspects and defendants ("close relatives" refer to husbands, wives, fathers, mothers, sons, daughters, brothers and sisters);
4. The person entrusted by the criminal suspect or defendant;
5. Designated by the people's court.