Minister of justice underlines concrete measures to advance high-quality development of legal profession

He Rong, minister of justice, underlined efforts to thoroughly implement Xi Jinping Thought on the Rule of Law, deepen the reform on the lawyer system, and build a team of lawyers armed with both integrity and ability to advance the high-quality development of the legal profession.

The minister made the remarks during a survey to the All China Lawyers Association on March 30.

During her visit to the association's Party member workshop, international department, and the Belt and Road International Lawyers Association, the minister learned about the current situation of the legal profession, such as in Party building, the reform of the lawyer system, foreign-related legal services and the self-discipline management of the profession.

She also chaired a symposium, during which she carefully listened to opinions and suggestions. She noted that lawyers are a high-quality force in advancing overall law-based governance and Chinese-style modernization. The lawyers' functions run through multiple links from legislation, law enforcement, administration of justice, observance of the law, to foreign-related legal services, and their services cover all fronts of economic and social development. Lawyers' work plays an important role in promoting economic and social development, ensuring the correct implementation of laws, maintaining social equity and justice and safeguarding national security and overseas interests.

She emphasized unswerving upholding of the Party's leadership in the work of lawyers and the need to deepen the Party building of the legal profession and called for efforts to guide lawyers, especially young lawyers, to bear in mind the country's fundamental interests with a patriotic spirit and to play an active part in advancing Chinese-style modernization.

She also underlined the importance of practicing the principle of the rule of law for the people and further enhancing the effectiveness of work related to legal aid and lawyer mediation to help improve the livelihoods of the people.

She urged more efforts to develop foreign-related legal services and protect the overseas legitimate rights and interests of Chinese citizens and legal entities, and emphasized the need to step up efforts to build international leading law firms and cultivate high-quality foreign-related talents to serve the building of a stronger nation and improve international competitiveness of the country's lawyers. 

The reform of the lawyer system needs to be further deepened to advance the revision of the lawyers law and the pilot program on the full coverage of lawyers' defense in criminal cases, the minister said. 

She urged efforts to improve the rating and evaluation system of the lawyer profession and beef up the construction of government departments overseeing lawyers and the development of lawyers associations so as to strengthen the supervision of lawyers' practice and guarantee their right to practice, as well as enhance their sense of honor and dignity, in a bid to effectively guide, manage and serve lawyers.