State Councilor and Public Security Minister Guo Shengkun said at a conference on Aug 20 that China should guarantee lawyers’ rights to legal practices, and lawyer behavior should be overseen, in order to promote the development of the legal system.

He also requested that the relevant authorities should promote the rule of law and the reform of the law enforcement system, and improve lawyers’ working mechanism.

He added that the authorities should guarantee the right of suspects in criminal cases to legal representation, and also ensure the ability of lawyers to provide assistance.