Hainan completes building of universal public legal service system

Hainan, China's southernmost province, has completed the building of a province-wide public legal service system, a big step forward in developing a first-rate business environment for its free trade port, according to the province's judicial department. 

Accessible on computers, smart phones, artificial intelligence robots and smart service terminals, the province's public legal service platform is now capable of providing the public with nine types of service, including legal aid, notarial services, judicial authentication and lawyers. 

Notably, the province's universal foreign-related notarial service and its province-wide public legal service system have both been listed by Hainan's free trade port government as key systemic and institutional innovation projects.        

In addition, by expanding access to full-time people’s mediators, primary-level legal counsels and defense lawyers to the whole province, Hainan has made its public legal services more equal and inclusive. As a result, the number of criminal cases where legal aid is offered to defendants during trials has been doubled.