Guideline specifies legal aid for minors

The Bureau of Public Legal Service Administration of the Ministry of Justice and the All China Lawyers Association have jointly released a guideline for improving legal aid for minors.

The guideline is applicable to three types of minor-related legal aid cases, namely, sexual assault of minors, infringement upon minors' rights and interests by their guardians and incidents where students are harmed. Meanwhile, cases of other types can also be handled with the guideline as a reference.

The guideline makes it clear that minor-related legal aid cases should always be handled in a way that is most favorable to minors. To avoid minors being harmed again, special protection shall be given to their dignity, privacy and personal information no matter whether they are suspects, defendants or victims.

In the selection of legal agents for minors, preference shall be given to those who are not only familiar with minors' physical and mental traits but also experienced in handling minor-related legal matters, according to the guideline. Female professional are preferred for the cases involving female minors, it says.

The guideline also states that given the uniqueness of minor-related cases legal agents are prohibited from using language critical of or insulting to minors. They should also choose safe places for meetings with minors and require their legal guardians or other adult relatives to attend the meetings.