Lawyers get an advocate_美文_趣味英语-查字典英语网

Lawyers get an advocate

"The public is expecting an active response and re-examination of the controversial convictions, and this is a useful way for the courts to improve their image and restore people's confidence in the judicial system."

It also means lawyers, especially defense attorneys, will be able to play a bigger and more active role in court hearing, he said.

Although the Criminal Procedure Law was amended this year to include more rights for lawyers, many criminal defense lawyers have complained of unfair treatment in the courtroom. Lawyers are held responsible for falsification of evidence, although prosecutors are exempted from it.

"The distrust between lawyers and judges has evidently grown in recent years," Hou said.

Heated debate arose after lawyer Wang Quanzhang was judicially detained for disrupting order in court in Jingjiang, Jiangsu province, in early April.

Wang was later released after three days, instead of the original10-day sentence.

The court said in a statement on its website that Wang has seriously disrupted order in court and was legally detained. "But since the detention has achieved the disciplinary effects, further detention is not necessary, so the court has decided to grant Wang early release," it said.

Speculation has swirled that the court abused its power, as the statement failed to specify what in Wang's behavior disrupted order in the court.

Shen's remarks about giving more support to defense lawyers and greater protection to defendants to prevent wrongful convictions is part of the steps that have been taken by the Supreme People's Court to improve its public image.