Chinese Lawyers' Dual Duty: Access to Justice, Legal Aid, and Emerging Public Service Ethos

Pro Bono, Legal d, and the Struggle for Justice in China

This chapter investigates the role of lawyers in delivering legal services to impoverished individuals and promoting access to justice in China. It explores whether there are distinct differences in access to justice compared to other countries, attributing them either to unique features of China’s political-legal system or its status as an upper-middle-income country with a relatively low GDP per capita.

In accordance with the Chinese law, offering legal services to those lacking resources is both a state mandate and lawyers’ professional obligation. The chapter posits that while the Legal d System has diminished the role of non-professional representation, increased funding for legal d in China has commercialized its provision and potentially weakened public interest among lawyers generally.

Nonetheless, as the legal profession expands in China, an ethos of public service is starting to emerge outside the official framework. Some lawyers are voluntarily providing services for those who need them and advocating for public interests, suggesting a growing spirit within the legal community that transcs formal d mechanisms.

In summary, this chapter elucidates both the state's role in ensuring access through Legal d and the evolving landscape of lawyer-led initiatives that seek to address justice gaps from an individual practitioner perspective.

This chapter examines lawyers' contributions to serving underprivileged individuals and enhancing access to justice within China. It questions whether disparities exist in access to justice when compared with other jurisdictions, attributing these variations potentially to China's unique political-legal system or its socioeconomic status as a middle-income country with limited GDP per capita.

In accordance with Chinese legal requirements, providing legal services for the disadvantaged is concurrently recognized as both a state responsibility and an ethical duty of practicing lawyers. The chapter argues that while the Legal d System has effectively reduced non-professional representation roles, increased funding for this system in China has led to its commercialization, possibly diminishing public interest among broader segments of the legal community.

Notwithstanding these changes, with China's growing legal profession, there is a nascent spirit of public service evident outside formal d frameworks. Some lawyers are voluntarily dedicating their skills to assist those in need and advocating for public interests, indicating a developing ethos that exts beyond traditional state-supported initiatives.

In essence, this chapter highlights the state’s role in facilitating access through Legal d programs alongside the evolving dynamics within the legal community that foster individual efforts med at addressing justice inequalities.
This article is reproduced from: https://www.cambridge.org/core/books/role-of-lawyers-in-access-to-justice/pro-bono-legal-aid-and-the-struggle-for-justice-in-china/3AADC0F515B9D172FB0D5727EEF97747

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