The Ministry of Justice is making concerted efforts to ensure all defendants in criminal cases are assigned defense lawyers, in order to better protect their human rights.

The Legal Aid Law will come into effect from Jan 1, but many defendants in criminal cases still cannot hire or are not assigned a lawyer. This is an old problem facing the justice system. There was a time when only 20-30 percent of the defendants were represented by lawyers.

Thanks to the efforts of the Ministry of Justice and the Supreme People's Court since 2017, today about 66 percent of the defendants are represented by lawyers. The aim is to ensure that by the end of 2022 all defendants in criminal cases are assigned defense lawyers.

In line with the Legal Aid Law's "combining national support and social participation" principle, the government will provide quality legal aid services for defendants to better protect their human rights.

Defendants in all criminal cases, including juveniles and those facing capital punishment irrespective of their economic status, can apply for legal aid and be assigned a lawyer to defend them in court for free. The new law covers more groups including victims of domestic violence, close relatives of martyrs and national heroes, and migrant laborers who have not been paid.

The law protects the legal rights and interests of all defendants. In some cases, legal aid defense lawyers appear in court just for show, without making any sincere effort to defend their "client" because they get paid irrespective of the outcome of the case. That's why the new law requires lawyers defending people facing capital punishment or life imprisonment to have at least three years' experience.

With all defendants in criminal cases being assigned defense lawyers by the end of next year, it will mark new progress in the rule of law.

THEPAPER.CN