Defense lawyers face uphill battle

Attorneys cite issues such as inability to meet with clients, obtain evidence

Wang Xing, a criminal lawyer in Beijing, has not been able to meet a client of his who was arrested in March. 

On six separate occasions during the past month the attorney has gone to the prosecutors who are responsible for the case, returning each time without an answer to his request to meet his client.

"It's really difficult to meet my client, and it's hard for me to make a submission of innocence for him," said the 32-year-old at the Huicheng Law Firm.

About 10,000 lawyers work on criminal cases in the capital, although many of them are planning to either completely give up defense work or supplement it with financial or civil cases, according to the Beijing Lawyers Association.

Wang said most of his income does not come from being a defense attorney. "I couldn't make a living if I only handled criminal cases."

Criminal lawyers often encounter obstacles meeting clients, reading files and obtaining evidence, all of which affects the quality of their work, according to the association.

What's more, criminal lawyers' submissions are often not well received in court, the association said. 

About 12 percent of criminal lawyers in Beijing have worked on cases in which the judges did not inform them that important business would be conducted in court on particular days, according to a survey undertaken by the association in 2010.

"It's hard to get a sense of achievement from being a criminal lawyer," Wang said, again referring to the case he is now working on.