Documenting Chinese Lawyers’ Rights and Interests: January-April 2026
This report covers the period from January 1 to April 30, 2026 and documents the multiple difficulties faced by Chinese lawyers in the course of their practice, including administrative suppression, obstruction of client meetings, denial of the right to observe court proceedings, and internal governance of lawyers’ associations.
Click here for the original Chinese text / 中文版
1. January: Zion Church Case. Multiple defense lawyers faced suppression by judicial administrative authorities. Lawyer Zhang Kai had his license revoked, while other lawyers including Yang Yaohua, Li Chunfu, Ge Xianyang, Liu Anqiang, Tang Xianlong, and Zhao Qingshan had their practices suspended or faced harassing questioning. The authorities attempted to suppress the influence of this independent church by depriving it of its right to a defense.
https://www.chinaaid.net/2026/03/blog-post_26.html?m=1
2. January 5: Lawyer Liu Zhiqiang submitted comments on the “Norms for Lawyers Handling Criminal Cases,” pointing out nearly a hundred flaws across 261 articles.
https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/elsCZnp4MuCGSTqEMmEFjg
3. January 6: Lawyer Li Aijun published an article titled “Lawyers Enjoy Testimonial Immunity and Have the Right to Refuse to Give Statements to Public Security Agencies.”
https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/936FQDxYOpEKOZl-6UWZEQ
4. January 9: In 2023, lawyer Gao Hongliang filed a complaint regarding the Zunyi City Honghuagang District Public Security Bureau restricting lawyer-client meetings and correspondence. The next year, on March 4, 2024, an individual surnamed Huang was placed under “retention in custody” (liuzhi) by the Supervisory Commission. On March 5, the Honghuagang District Procuratorate issued a notice requiring the correction of the violations.
5. January 13: A deputy director of the Justice Bureau was sentenced for accepting bribes totaling 8.44 million yuan. A lawyer had paid a 600,000-yuan bribe to secure the position of president of the lawyers’ association. The lawyers’ association involved urgently voted to remove them from the presidency.
https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/4wK0dvz6sbWStl2Xs6OJYA
Is the presidency of the Jining Lawyers’ Association worth 600,000 yuan? The judgment regarding Guo Qingqi, Deputy Director of the Jining Justice Bureau, reveals that the position of Jining Bar Association President could be bought for 600,000 yuan; crucially, the lawyer in question spent the 600,000 yuan but failed to secure the presidency.
https://weibo.com/1773958670/5254191132180481
January 15: The Door to the Presidency Opened by Money—and a Discussion on How Bar Association Autonomy Can Break Free from the Shackles of Excessive Administrative Interference
https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/onljqTf_lyXurronICb8JQ
6. The “Picking Quarrels and Provoking Trouble” Case of Zhang Wenpeng and Xu Zongping
Pre-trial conference held on January 12–13. Trial held from February 9 to 14. The court unlawfully restricted public attendance; while it arranged for on-site observation with simultaneous audio recording, it refused entry to observers even though there were empty seats in the courtroom. Lawyer Yu Kai angrily threw down his lawyer’s ID card in protest. On the morning of the first day, the court recessed three times; Zhang Wenpeng caused a scene, spending two-thirds of the time spitting profanities and criticizing the court for its unlawful restrictions on public attendance. On the final day (the 14th), Zhang Wenpeng ended his concluding statement with the famous lines: “Since ancient times, no one has escaped death; let a loyal heart shine in the annals of history!” The entire courtroom was moved, and lawyer Lan Qingzhou shed tears.
[Translator’s Note: The above quotation is the final line of Wen Tianxiang’s poem “Passing Through the Lonely Ocean,” composed in 1279 after his capture following a military defeat.]
Verdict announced on March 16: Zhang Wenpeng sentenced to four years and six months; Xu Zongping sentenced to two years.
April 20: Lawyer Fan Chen submitted representation documents for the appeal.
7. Lawyer Zhou Xiaoyun on the January 10 China Construction Bank (CCB) Incident: A Call to Immediately Abolish the Unreasonable Penalty System for Tellers
Following the Central Bank’s new regulation (abolishing the requirement to declare the purpose of cash withdrawals exceeding 50,000 yuan), the most critical step is to abolish the unreasonable penalty system imposed on bank tellers. Frontline bank employees should no longer be made to take the blame for the reckless actions of management!
https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/P83YWRu63miEsMu5leE4AA
8. January 21: Lawyer Zhou Lixin criticized Judges Dai Zhengrong and Gao Jinsheng of the Guiyang Intermediate People’s Court for issuing a ruling that lacked legal reasoning. https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/cBJr8OfdeWyae-EgItK9bA
9. January 21: Lawyer Li Guisheng published a post: The judge stated that case files could only be reviewed and cross-examined in the courtroom! (I)
Judge Tang Feiya of the Baiyun District Court in Guiyang City—you have violated the law!
10. Lawyer Hou Jiayin provided pro bono legal assistance to defend Lawyer Jiang’s rights.
Jiayin traveled a thousand miles to fulfill a single promise made before a banquet on January 22.
https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/fj_Hm0Wi-JYQ8w2UffozMQ
11. January 26: Xinzhou Court prohibits bringing laptops to the pre-trial conference. Lawyer Li Renhuo released a video demanding that the Wuhan Intermediate People’s Court rectify the situation.
https://weixin.qq.com/sph/ASmCT3LcWg
12. January 27: Rights defense success! After years of back-and-forth, the Shenzhen Lawyers Association finally “admitted error” against a Shenzhen lawyer: it has revoked the finding that attorney Zhang Maorong committed a violation.
https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/h3eiJnsD4o10oiL3vZSOcg
13. January 28: Lawyer Zhou Lixin issued an open letter to the deputies and committee members attending the Guizhou Provincial “Two Sessions,” calling for oversight regarding the “organized crime” case involving Huang Bin in Zunyi.
14. January 31: Release of the latest national court hearing schedule.
Published by Hunan’s Wang Shihan, who collects and publicly shares hearing information from various locations.
https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/JEKoyOWVW9ikpQjoSJ1u1Q
15. Lawyer Yu Kai demands the Nanshan Court open a case regarding Tencent’s deletion of posts and suspension of accounts.
On February 2, lawyers Yu Kai, Wen Donghai, Yang Hui, and Lin Qilei went to the Shenzhen Nanshan Court to demand the filing of a case against Tencent for deleting posts and suspending accounts; the court refused to process the request. Lawyer Yu Kai staged a protest outside the courtroom.
https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/0iyDoJ18hrvorVa-3lHJfg
16. Former prominent investigative journalists Liu Hu and Wu Yingjiao went dark and were subsequently detained. Lawyers and legal professionals across the country reacted strongly and actively voiced their support. Professor Lao Dongyan remarked: “Reporting [misconduct] is useless; publishing articles is against the law.”
https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/AV2zUZ32uc3ysqTu1RFydA
17. February 2: A “fraud” court tries a “fraud” case—an account of the farcical hearing at the Liaoyuan Intermediate People’s Court regarding the “Wishing Candle” case.
https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/bGPySgQzC5ivojWXQUkueQ
Day one of the Liaoyuan “Wishing Candle” case: A struggle to secure the right to observe the trial. Only two immediate family members per defendant were allowed to attend; the courtroom, which originally had two rows of seats, had half of them removed. Lawyers Li Aijun and Liu Lu lodged complaints with the People’s Congress regarding the restrictions on attendance. Protest took place both inside and outside the courtroom.
https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/gE7MYm68u68cKRmEMx8LeQ
March 13: A group of judges occupied the public gallery seats to block others from attending. Lawyer Hou Zhiyuan.
https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/2dLK_b-wI0p4Q9szKeO4xQ
18. February 5: Zhou Lixin publishes an article: How should one face judicial prosecution that is patently unjust? We must not allow unscrupulous judicial personnel to extract even a single grain of sand from conscientious witnesses.
19. On February 12, Lawyer Yu Kai protested at the Hainan Provincial Party Committee, the Provincial Public Security Department, and so on, regarding the case of Zhang Wenpeng.
20. February 25: Lawyer Zhou Lixin, “Speaking Out, Not Just for Liu Jie”
https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/cBTPUNQvVnR9Y9TfwAXejw
21. March 1: Wang Xing: A detailed look at “self-empowerment” in the interpretation of the Criminal Procedure Law.
Jimen Decision-Making Forum: Issues and Countermeasures in the Implementation of the Criminal Procedure Law. Lawyer Wang Xing delivered remarks:
https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/3f7XbpB16vQBrTQ7JJ6lmA
22. The phenomenon of “performative” and “internet-famous” lawyers.
March 2: “Selling Crutches” in the legal profession (a reference to a famous skit about a con artist selling useless goods).
https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/3NAHncmmQkq_6DvAt5Xztw
March 9: Liu Xiaoyuan—Lawyer Zheng Aili’s “resistance”: Lawyers who truly resist often hold no titles. https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/gcv3dLw9e4s4C3k8GU7FUw
March 15: Breaking News! A Beijing “law firm director” who claimed to have “helped overturn over 3,000 cases” was exposed as a fraud by Wang Hai. Genuine lawyers face immense difficulties, while fake ones and scammers run rampant.
https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/z9T0AS_n9nWM8fwfunzXiQ
23. March 2: Lawyer Liu Xiaoyuan published an article titled “How Can Lawyers Remain Silent?” addressing the issue of lawyers’ freedom of speech.
https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/oQImMmjTTnXvrqLUTtFjaw
24. March 3: On the day of the Lantern Festival, Lawyer Yu Kai held a placard to show support for Lawyer Xie Yang.
25. The Case of Duan Hua of Guilin
March 5: The family invited lawyers from across the country to attend the hearing as observers.
March 18: The formal trial began; a demand was raised to resolve the issue of public attendance (allowing lawyers to observe). The court adjourned twice to address this matter.
Retrial of the Duan Hua case in Guangxi: The victim must appear in court, how can procedural justice be “visible to the naked eye?”
https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/3n_nSL0ZkdTTwDMaccmW7g
To Nie Huayu: As the trial begins tomorrow, I hope only for a real court of law.
https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/2V39cEM4XaEaw8r5qnR7Og
26. March 12: Lawyer Xu Xin on the five systems within the Criminal Procedure Law most in need of amendment.
https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/j3w6IcP7Im-2WL4NSCT8cg
27. March 11: Lawyer Liu Zhiqiang submits a “Lawyer’s Opinion” to the Shiyan Detention Center. Behind a mesh screen, power is stripped away under the guise of legitimacy.
https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/KDG-ltExF_A9qznUtfxwFQ
28. March 11: Jiao Nanfan—A functional analysis of rights and a study on the right to legal defense.
https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/3NAHncmmQkq_6DvAt5Xztw
29. March 20: Lawyer Zhou Lixin—”Judicial Fairness Calls for Establishing a System for Jurisdictional Objections.”
https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/M_9NZXWI9l0-a1p9qfCVlA
30. March 20: Lawyer Xu Xin files a real-name report against a Chief Procurator.
31. March 21: The scandal involving Mei Xiangrong, head of the world’s largest law firm. “Did Mei Xiangrong transfer 3.87 billion yuan? Exclusive Police Response”
“Investigations by public security authorities have confirmed that between 2021 and 2025, Mei Xiangrong, through means such as forging agreements and fabricating service projects, diverted 3.87 billion yuan of the law firm’s professional income (including legal service fees and client deposits) to affiliated enterprises under his control. This action simultaneously resulted in the inability to repay 1.24 billion yuan in principal to investors.”
https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/kZYQrLezzlJgUm_UNNJFGw
March 19: “What Liability Should the Beijing Municipal Bureau of Justice Bear in the Yingke Illegal Fundraising Case?”
How did Mei Xiangrong transform Yingke from a “colossal global law firm” into a “black hole for capital”?
https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/4-8SGQityzQHj9y78zXLEw
The head of the “colossal global law firm that would never collapse” has turned himself in. https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/p9WBvrd8WZQW24ZDp2yyQg
32. March 24: Public interest litigation by a lawyer. Attorney Zhu Zhi sues Southwest Airlines for forcibly charging “oversized baggage fees” during boarding.
https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/HitkTKQd650MYZq2cdKGsw
33. March 26: Do records of petitioning have a greater impact than records of legal violations?
Lawyer Li Binke published a post noting that a formal complaint he filed for a case was classified as a “petition record,” and thus triggered an alert that he was traveling to the capital.
https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/LvXy-I4tluvOyqYiE1F0qg
34. March 26: The Huang Taikun Case
Lawyers challenged the illegal installation of signal jammers and demanded their deactivation. The court required that the account of the proceedings be written without drawing biased conclusions.
https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/eTgDpGu0rmKJwwRN2D4x_A
35. Attorney Zhou Xiaoyun: A security guard at the Nanchang Intermediate People’s Court declared, “No photos allowed! This involves the leadership’s right to their own image!”
https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/Jlw0TCOPTZ86F9ewFMe-aw
36. Lawyer Yu Kai staged a protest holding a placard and was released on bail pending trial after 30 days of detention.
On March 26, Lawyer Yu Kai went to the Ministry of Justice to stage a protest holding a placard, calling for the autonomy of lawyers’ associations, the abolition of the annual lawyer inspection system, freedom of association, and the scrapping of “blacklists.” On the 27th, he was taken to a case-handling center, and a case was opened against him for the crime of “picking quarrels and provoking trouble.” Lawyers Bao Longjun and Wang Yu were also taken in. The national legal community and legal professionals paid close attention to the matter and voiced their support for Lawyer Yu Kai. He was subsequently transferred to Qingdao. On April 26, he was released on bail pending trial. Lawyers Li Guobei and Lan Qingzhou actively represented him and met with him. Li Qingliang issued a resounding challenge: if one believes Yu Kai is innocent, one should not stop at mere written arguments but should hold up a placard in support of him, everyone should join in holding placards. Zhou Shifeng lodged a protest with the Director of the Beijing Municipal Public Security Bureau. On April 8, Wen Donghai received a call regarding an investigation into his accompanying Yu Kai to Changsha to hold a placard in support of Xie Yang; he sternly refused to cooperate.
37. March 27: Zhou Lixin published an article titled “Must the Supervisory Commission Comply with the Law on Deputies?”
https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/45BAZmGDXDN0jWR1LgirPA
38. March 30: Li Ruyu released a video asking, “Who Will Protect Lawyers’ Constitutional Rights?”
https://weixin.qq.com/sph/AVEWncMaYI
39. March 31: Lawyer Lan Qingzhou filed a real-name report against officials from judicial administrative agencies in Shandong and Qingdao.
https://weixin.qq.com/sph/AveNb7lhfB
40. April 2: Lawyer Li Guisheng faced a complaint; the case was dismissed following an investigation by the Guiyang Lawyers Association.
The court recommended disciplinary action, but the Lawyers Association ultimately dropped the case | Li Guisheng: Hoping to give young lawyers a sense of confidence.
https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/DMaYvEO25nItX26Rtbu79w
Pressure from Xixiu District Court to penalize the lawyer was flatly rejected by the Lawyers Association.
https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/hpxxdV6z8uZjvULtAzHwdg
41. April 2: Zhang Yifei – “The Right to Observe a Trial, Castrated: An Account of Observing the Wang Yingchao Organized Crime Case Trial.”
https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/iabMIq32BXen9Ynh_miEUA
42. April 7: Lawyer Wang Zhixiang – “Blocked Outside the Detention Center: A Lawyer’s Journey to Seek a Meeting.”
https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/yT3fxNyOMS8NWRBxMYiekQ
43. April 12: Yi Shenghua – “Public Statement Regarding the Refusal to Participate in the Zhumadian Intermediate Court Hearing.”
Reasons: Pre-judgment before trial, grounds for recusal, and inability of relevant personnel to attend the hearing.
44. April 13: Lawyer Yu Wensheng was released upon completion of his prison sentence and subsequently began traveling to various locations.
45. April 13: Wang Shihan, “Breaking! First-ever incident in China where a defendant threatened their defense counsel in open court.”
https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/qtLH33m43U8Q-BWyLP30Yw
46. April 14: A call for court police to adopt the proper mindset and change their working style.
Lawyer Lan Qingzhou was ordered by court police to delete photos he had taken; he criticized this demand.
https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/PKOT0rTijnQJ_rcD1LLATQ
47. April 14: Lawyers including Wang Xing were sprayed with pepper spray; an administrative litigation hearing commenced.
https://weixin.qq.com/sph/AOTKKv6O8i
48. April 14: Lawyer Li Guobei published a post criticizing the Chaoyang District Justice Bureau for refusing to process the transfer applications of four lawyers.
49. April 16: Zhang Lei met with Xie Yang; Xie decided to waive his right to appeal and expressed gratitude to Yu Kai for holding up a support sign for him.
50. April 16: Lawyer Zhou Lixin criticized the new judicial interpretation regarding bribery. He argued that imposing the same criminal penalties for the same bribery amounts on non-state personnel (e.g., chairpersons of private enterprises) and state functionaries (e.g., mayors) violates the principle that crimes and punishments be strictly defined by law.
51. April 17: A client sent a letter to the law firm regarding a situation where the court was unlawfully pressuring the lawyer to submit written defense arguments without holding a hearing for the second-instance trial. The client’s instructions were: 1. Do not comply with the court’s unlawful demand to submit written defense arguments before a hearing is held or preliminary issues are resolved; such a practice effectively infringes upon the client’s rights rather than safeguarding the right to a defense. 2. Insist that defense arguments be presented during a public court hearing. https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/ffwyDDPErWeWDLpQfzl68w
52. April 17: Lawyer Zhou Lixin lodged a protest against the violation of the right to meet with the client.
53. April 17 – Han Xu: The emerging issue of “difficulty in arranging meetings [with clients]” warrants attention.
https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/8gWplTRQWJSndJiwN0UhOg
54. April 20 – Song Changcheng publishes an article regarding his bid for the presidency of the Shenzhen Lawyers Association.
https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/dtF-lPPba1zgNGE6zXHq9Q
55. April 24 – Lawyer Wang Xingqi files a formal complaint in accordance with the law and ultimately secures a meeting [with his client].
56. Wu Fatian transfers to a different law firm.
https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/QTAxKzSzBHZI3vIABE0dEA
57. April 27 – Lawyer Zhu Lijun files a lawsuit against Tencent for deleting posts; the case is accepted and a hearing is held.
https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/AlVb4k0zCIilJGDPPYQZIg
58. Lu Siwei faces harassment by the authorities.
59. April 28 – Song Changcheng files a report against the Director of the Guangdong Provincial Department of Justice and others.
https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/IlsKTF-zxVogse0ff8bajw