The Lawyers Law Amendment Passed: Effective September 1, These 5 Provisions Are Directly Relevant to You
On August 28, 2026, the 24th session of the Standing Committee of the 14th National People's Congress adopted the Decision on Amending the Lawyers Law of the People's Republic of China. It takes effect on September 1 (3 days later).
Many people assume the Lawyers Law is "lawyers' business" and irrelevant to them. However, several provisions in this amendment directly concern parties to litigation, enterprises, civil servants, and legal professionals from Hong Kong and Macao—each is explained below.
I. Why was the Lawyers Law amended?
In one sentence: To codify into law new national-level requirements, including the Party's leadership over lawyers' work, foreign-related legal services, and full coverage of criminal defense.
The original Lawyers Law had not been amended since its 2007 revision. Over the 18 years since, the rule-of-law environment, the development of the legal profession, and the international landscape have all changed. This amendment comprises 10 items and takes effect on September 1.
II. Five directly relevant amendments
1. Full coverage of defense lawyers in criminal cases (new mandatory requirement)
Article 34 is newly added: "The State shall promote full coverage of defense lawyers in criminal cases, with specific measures to be formulated by the administrative department of justice under the State Council jointly with relevant authorities."
This means: A criminal defendant's access to defense counsel has shifted from being "encouraged" to being a statutory direction "promoted by the State." Going forward, in criminal cases, parties who cannot afford a lawyer will also be guaranteed legal representation—a major change in the criminal justice field. For entrepreneurs and individuals facing criminal risk, both the coverage and timeliness of defense representation will improve.
2. Red lines for civil servants who become lawyers after leaving office
Article 44 is newly added: "Personnel of the People's Courts, the People's Procuratorates, judicial administrative departments, and other units who engage in the legal profession or work in law firms after resigning from public office or retiring shall comply with the relevant provisions on the administration of departure from public office."
This means: Judges, prosecutors, and judicial administrative personnel who leave office to become lawyers cannot simply take on any case—they must comply with departure administration rules (typically including practice restrictions for a certain period and prohibitions on handling cases from their former units). This also serves as a reference for enterprises selecting lawyers: when encountering a "former judge" or "former prosecutor" lawyer, one may inquire further about their practice compliance.
3. Hong Kong and Macao lawyers may practice in the Greater Bay Area (first time codified into law)
Article 62 is newly added: Legal practitioners from Hong Kong and Macao who pass the Greater Bay Area lawyers' practice examination and obtain mainland practice qualifications may engage in legal business within the prescribed scope in the nine cities of Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Zhuhai, Foshan, Huizhou, Dongguan, Zhongshan, Jiangmen, and Zhaoqing.
This means: The legal services sector in the Greater Bay Area is further opening up. Enterprises involved in Hong Kong and Macao-related business will have more cross-border legal talent to choose from.
4. More clearly defined conditions for practicing as a lawyer
To practice as a lawyer, one must concurrently satisfy the following: uphold the Constitution, uphold the Party's leadership and socialist rule of law, pass the national unified legal professional qualification examination, complete one year of internship, and maintain good conduct. The internship and good conduct requirements are retained.
5. Foreign-related legal services codified into law
Article 7 is newly added: The State shall actively develop the foreign-related legal services industry, strengthen the training of foreign-related legal talent, and support law firms in enhancing their capacity to provide foreign-related legal services.
This means: Enterprises going global and parties to foreign-related disputes will have access to a greater supply of foreign-related legal services. This is favorable for enterprises—there will be more foreign-related legal professionals and more specialized services.
III. Summary in one sentence
For ordinary individuals, the most significant impact of this amendment is full coverage of criminal defense (criminal defendants are more likely to have counsel); for enterprises, the most significant impacts are foreign-related legal services and the regulation of civil servants becoming lawyers after leaving office.
The amendment takes effect on September 1, so it is advisable to pay attention to the relevant changes now.
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