New | China needs checks and balances to protect lawyers' rights, say experts

Measures announced by China's authorities to protect the rights of lawyers and judges will not lead to genuine changes if upholding the Communist Party's interests remains the goal of the legal system, experts say.

The absence of punishment and the lack of checks and balances in the judiciary and legal system also contribute towards the ineffectiveness, they say.

A set of rules for safeguarding lawyers' rights was jointly announced on Sunday by the Supreme People's Court, the Supreme People's Procuratorate, the Ministry of Public Security, the Ministry of State Security and the Ministry of Justice. The rules say a range of lawyers' rights that are often violated, including their access to case files, evidence collection as well as their right to visit their clients, should be respected.

The top court said yesterday the power of judges to make independent rulings should be respected and they should be free from interference from the government or individuals. It said judges would also be held responsible for a range of misconduct, including bribe-taking and falsification of evidence.

READ MORE: Tales of torture: time spent in Chinese police custody leaves victims permanently scarred

Legal experts say that while the measures are well-intentioned, similar moves have been announced in the past but were ineffective because of the lack of punitive measures and the lack of checks and balances within the system.

Lawyer Liang Xiaojun, director at Beijing Daoheng Law Firm, said there was no effective check-and-balance mechanism between the police, prosecution authorities and the judiciary and they often colluded and turned a blind eye to abuses in the system.