CHINA’S Ministry of Justice has made public the details of penalties issued to 42 lawyers and ten law firms over the past month, amid intensified efforts to standardize practices and boost transparency.
Those listed have been given administrative punishments, such as fines, a suspension of practice and disbarment, according to the ministry.
Nineteen lawyers were punished for privately accepting cases or collecting fees, which did not conform to laws and regulations, the most common misdemeanor listed.
Six were punished for disrupting litigation proceedings, such as providing communication devices or other prohibited items to suspects in detention.
Violations also included soliciting business by illegitimate means, submitting fake documents to judicial organs, and willful offenses such as dangerous driving, bribery or gambling, the ministry said.
This was the ninth consecutive month that the ministry was disclosed violations by lawyers since it began to release such information in May in a move to standardize lawyer practices, protect litigant rights, improve the complaint handling system, step up penalties on violations and boost transparency.(Xinhua)