Criminal Procedure Law of the People's Republic of China
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E-mail China.org.cn, March 8, 2012
Chapter IV Defence and Representation
Article 32 In addition to exercising the right to defend himself, a criminal suspect or a defendant may entrust one or two persons as his defenders. The following persons may be entrusted as defenders:
(1) lawyers;
(2) persons recommended by a public organization or the unit to which the criminal suspect or the defendant belongs; and
(3) guardians or relatives and friends of the criminal suspect or the defendant.
Persons who are under criminal punishment or whose personal freedom is deprived of or restricted according to law shall not serve as defenders.
Article 33 A criminal suspect in a case of public prosecution shall have the right to entrust persons as his defenders from the date on which the case is transferred for examination before prosecution. A defendant in a case of private prosecution shall have the right to entrust persons as his defenders at any time.
A People's Procuratorate shall, within three days from the date of receiving the file record of a case transferred for examination before prosecution, inform the criminal suspect that he has the right to entrust persons as his defenders. A People's Court shall, within three days from the date of accepting a case of private prosecution, inform the defendant that he has the right to entrust persons as his defenders.
Article 34 If a case is to be brought in court by a public prosecutor and the defendant involved has not entrusted anyone to be his defender due to financial difficulties or other reasons, the People's Court may designate a lawyer that is obligated to provide legal aid to serve as a defender.
If the defendant is blind, deaf or mute, or if he is a minor, and thus has not entrusted anyone to be his defender, the People's Court shall designate a lawyer that is obligated to provide legal aid to serve as a defender.
If there is the possibility that the defendant may be sentenced to death and yet he has not entrusted anyone to be his defender, the People's Court shall designate a lawyer that is obligated to provide legal aid to serve as a defender.
Article 35 The responsibility of a defender shall be to present, according to the facts and law, materials and opinions proving the innocence of the criminal suspect or defendant, the pettiness of his crime and the need for a mitigated punishment or exemption from criminal responsibility, thus safeguarding the lawful rights and interests of the criminal suspect or the defendant.
Article 36 Defence lawyers may, from the date on which the People's Procuratorate begins to examine a case for prosecution, consult, extract and duplicate the judicial documents pertaining to the current case and the technical verification material, and may meet and correspond with the criminal suspect in custody. Other defenders, with permission of the People's Procuratorate, may also consult, extract and duplicate the above-mentioned material, meet and correspond with the criminal suspect in custody.
Defence lawyers may, from the date on which the People's Court accepts a case, consult, extract and duplicate the material of the facts of the crime accused in the current case, and may meet and correspond with the defendant in custody. Other defenders, with permission of the People's Court, may also consult, extract and duplicate the above-mentioned material, and may meet and correspond with the defendant in custody.
Article 37 Defence lawyers may, with the consent of the witnesses or other units and individuals concerned, collect information pertaining to the current case from them and they may also apply to the People's Procuratorate or the People's Court for the collection and obtaining of evidence, or request the People's Court to inform the witnesses to appear in court and give testimony.
With permission of the People's Procuratorate or the People's Court and with the consent of the victim, his near relatives or the witnesses provided by the victim, defence lawyers may collect information pertaining to the current case from them.
Article 38 Defense lawyers and other defenders shall not help the criminal suspects or defendants to conceal, destroy or falsify evidence or to tally their confessions, and shall not intimidate or induce the witnesses to modify their testimony or give false testimony or conduct other acts to interfere with the proceedings of the judicial organs.
Whoever violates the provisions of the preceding paragraph shall be investigated for legal responsibility according to law.
Article 39 During a trial, the defendant may refuse to have his defender continue to defend him and may entrust his defence to another defender.
Article 40 A victim in a case of public prosecution, his legal representatives or near relatives, and a party in an incidental civil action and his legal representatives shall, from the date on which the case is transferred for examination before prosecution, have the right to entrust agents ad litem. A private prosecutor in a case of private prosecution and his legal representatives, and a party in an incidental civil action and his legal representatives shall have the right to entrust agents ad litem at any time.
The People's Procuratorate shall, within three days from the date of receiving the file record of a case transferred for examination before prosecution, notify the victim and his legal representatives or near relatives and the party in an incidental civil action and his legal representatives that they have the right to entrust agents ad litem. The People's Court shall, within three days from the date of accepting a case of private prosecution, notify the private prosecutor and his legal representatives and the party in an incidental civil action and his legal representatives that they have the right to entrust agents ad litem.
Article 41 With regard to entrusting of agents ad litem, the provisions of Article 32 of this Law shall be applied mutatis mutandis.
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