Evolution of China’s lawyer profession since 1978

Since the restoration of the lawyer system in China in 1979, Chinese lawyers have been playing an indispensable role in protecting the legal rights and interests of parties to litigations, safeguarding the correct implementation of the law, and maintaining social fairness and justice. The timeline of China's lawyer profession in the process of building the rule of law in the country is as follows:

1978

It was decided at the Third Plenary Session of the 11th CPC Central Committee that China would improve the building of the socialist legal system, which marked the beginning of a new stage in the development of China's legal system.

1979

Seven important laws including the Criminal Law, the Criminal Procedure Law and the Civil Procedure Law were enacted, laying the legal basis for the restoration of the lawyer system in China.

Sept 1979

The Standing Committee of the Fifth National People's Congress (NPC) decided to re-establish the Ministry of Justice.

Dec 19, 1979

The Ministry of Justice released a notice on lawyers-related work, officially announcing the restoration of the lawyer system in China.

Oct 26, 1980

The 15th Session of the Fifth NPC Standing Committee passed the Interim Regulations of the People's Republic of China on Lawyers, the first legislation on China's lawyer system since the founding of the PRC.

1984

Legal counsel offices were gradually renamed law firms with implementation of a new expenditure management system which allowed law firms to retain their revenues.

1986

A unified qualification examination for the lawyer profession was launched.

Jul 17, 1986

The All China Lawyers Association was founded and started to participate in the administration of the lawyer profession alongside judicial administrative authorities.

1988

China began to pilot the cooperative law firm program by turning state-funded law firms into cooperative ones.

1993

The State Council approved a major reform plan devised by the Ministry of Justice for the lawyer profession, which changed the status of lawyers from government legal workers into professional legal workers.

May 15, 1996

The 19th Session of the Eighth NPC Standing Committee passed the Lawyers Law, which deals with such issues as lawyers' qualifications, law firms and lawyers' rights and obligations.

Jan 2002

The Ministry of Justice released a series of measures to continue the reform of the lawyer profession.

Jun 2004

The Ministry of Justice cooperated with the legislative organ to commence an overhaul of the Lawyers Law.

Oct 2007

The 30th Session of the 10th NPC Standing Committee passed the revision to the Lawyers Law, which added or revised over 40 provisions.

Nov 2013

The Third Plenum of the 18th CPC Central Committee highlighted reforming and improving the lawyer system as part of China's effort to comprehensively deepen reform.

The meeting required efforts to improve the mechanisms on protecting lawyers' rights and punishing those violating the laws and regulations on the lawyer profession, strengthen work ethics, and facilitate lawyers' important role in protecting citizens and legal persons' lawful rights and interests.

Oct 2014

The Fourth Plenum of the 18th CPC Central Committee made it clear that lawyers are an important component of groups upholding the socialist rule of law, and addressed such issues as improving the protection and discipline mechanisms for lawyers, strengthening the administration of law firms, and helping lawyer associations play their roles in profession self-discipline.

In recent years, a set of guidelines has been passed to deepen the lawyer system reform, carry out the legal counsel system and the public and corporate lawyer system, and develop foreign-related legal services.

These measures have drawn up a blueprint for the advancement of overall law-based governance.