New law aims to boost legal aid services

Lawyers in China are encouraged to provide more legal aid for areas where there is a shortage of judicial resources in line with a new law.

The law on legal aid was passed by the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress, China's top legislature, on Friday after three reviews. It will go into effect on Jan 1, 2022.

The law provides clarification on law firms and law service providers at the grassroots level as well as lawyers and those who are responsible for providing legal aid.

It defines legal aid as giving legal services, including legal consultation and criminal defense, to people with economic difficulties, but it stipulates that a person's economic situation should not be a limitation if close relatives of heroes and martyrs and "good Samaritans" try to apply for legal aid.