Legal aid flourishes in Yunnan

Legal aid in Southwest China's Yunnan province has been playing an increasingly important role in addressing people's needs. 

In order to effectively implement China's legal aid law, which came into force on Jan 1, 2022, Yunnan's judicial department has promulgated a regulation and a guideline which together lay a solid institutional foundation for providing related services in the province. 

Since 1998, when Yunnan began the provision of legal aid, the province has provided the service in 863,540 cases, benefiting 951,648 people including women, minors, migrant workers, and people with disabilities. It has also offered legal advice to the public 3,178,171 times. All told, the service has help people in need avoid and recover 5 billion yuan ($784.5 million) in economic losses. 

Yunnan also took steps to further lower the threshold for applying for legal aid in recent years, including exempting 12 special groups, such as elderly people aged 70 or older and with major diseases, from having to provide proof of financial difficulties. 

At present, there are 3,064 legal aid stations across the province, ensuring that people can obtain legal aid services within half an hour. Its public legal service website and hotline can even guarantee access to legal aid within 30 seconds.