Guidelines clarify court, lawyer ties

A clear line has been drawn between Chinese judges and prosecutors and independent lawyers in two new guidelines in a move to prevent judicial corruption, uphold justice and advance the implementation of the rule of law more effectively.

The guidelines were jointly issued by the Supreme People’s Court, the Supreme People’s Procuratorate and the Ministry of Justice on Tuesday. One focuses on establishing a mechanism to prevent improper contact between judges, prosecutors and lawyers, while the other is aimed at regulating the behavior of those who leave courts or procuratorates and then become lawyers.

Based on previous stipulations on preventing interference in justice, the guidelines list seven specific prohibitions for judges and prosecutors to further help them determine their limitations in their contact with lawyers.