Rights of Defendants in Criminal Proceedings

(Caixin Online) Throughout the past decade, criminal proceedings in China have undergone several reforms. The Criminal Procedure Law of China was initiated in 1979, followed by amendments made in 1997. However, an adversarial system between the prosecution and the defense has not been achieved. Under the current criminal justice system, such safeguards are absent in public security organs, procuratorial organs and people's courts. Guarantees are still needed to ensure the rights of the defendants at every stage of criminal proceedings.