Article 5 In conducting criminal proceedings, the people's courts, the people's procuratorates and the public security organs shall divide the responsibilities, coordinate their efforts and check each other to ensure the correct and effective enforcement of the law.
; q2 Z) `, b; Z: `2 ^) ` Article 6 Citizens of all nationalities shall have the right to use their native spoken and written languages in court proceedings. The people's courts, the people's procuratorates and the public security organs shall provide translations for any party to the court proceedings who is not familiar with the spoken or written language commonly used in the locality.9 t- S* \% J& P7 _3 m0 }5 D
Where people of a minority nationality live in a concentrated community or where a number of nationalities live together in one area, court hearings shall be conducted in the spoken language commonly used in the locality, and judgments, notices and other documents shall be issued in the written language commonly used in the locality.
' p( f9 B8 x- ?! I7 k Article 7 In trying cases, the people's courts shall apply the system whereby the second instance is final.- s0 q" c) d, i" J# m" s r
Article 8 Cases in the people's courts shall be heard in public, unless otherwise provided by this Law. A defendant shall have the right to defence, and the people's courts shall have the duty to guarantee his defence.
) S1 L3 f3 A3 t1 D6 I! U1 f4 H! D { Article 9 In trying cases, the people's courts shall apply the system of people's assessors taking part in trials in accordance with this Law.
3 W: e9 H+ n) b2 R% O Article 10 The people's courts, the people's procuratorates and the public security organs shall safeguard the procedural rights to which participants in proceedings are entitled according to law. C1 K, R3 C9 k: J+ x1 R+ ~
In cases where a minor under the age of 18 commits a crime, the legal representative of the defendant may be notified to be present at the time of interrogation and trial.* C* A6 @- I9 m' Z+ G! a
Participants in proceedings shall have the right to file charges against judicial, procuratorial and investigatory personnel whose acts infringe on their citizens' procedural rights or subject their persons to indignities.3 z4 i: ~* @ M; [8 V
Article 11 In any of the following circumstances, no criminal responsibility shall be investigated; if investigation has already been undertaken, the case shall be dismissed, or prosecution shall not be initiated, or innocence shall be declared:% f1 p0 j6 e' X, e; q
(1) if an act is obviously of minor importance, causing no serious harm, and is therefore not deemed a crime;2 Y6 L8 g- B3 S/ E' f: c
(2) if the limitation period for criminal prosecution has expired;
- e) u2 d( `" H8 I$ N. ? (3) if an exemption of criminal punishment has been granted in a special amnesty decree;& s U# ^ g L; E- B& n& |+ K
(4) if the crime is to be handled only upon complaint according to the Criminal Law, but these has been no complaint or the complaint has been withdrawn;
5 `' b) A X( X1 U (5) if the defendant is deceased; or+ L) R0 q8 b4 l+ `
(6) if other laws or decrees provide an exemption from investigation of criminal responsibility./ B& A: i, q# X3 q
Article 12 Provisions of this Law shall apply to foreigners who commit crimes for which criminal responsibility should be investigated.7 s" v/ d4 M' ^
If foreigners with diplomatic privileges and immunities commit crimes for which criminal responsibility should be investigated, those cases shall be resolved through diplomatic channels.. n0 |0 h* [( L1 i
Chapter II Jurisdiction, D* @3 i/ I2 f/ ?
Article 13 Minor criminal cases that are to be handled only upon complaint or do not require an investigation shall be directly accepted and may be mediated by the people's courts.
7 h z8 ^# X) R5 o) y Cases involving crimes of corruption, violation of the citizens democratic rights and dereliction of duty, as well as other cases which the people's procuratorates consider necessary to handle directly themselves shall be placed on file by the people's procuratorates, which shall conduct investigation and decide whether or not to initiate a public prosecution.
$ e# Z; C1 y, h+ p7 N/ c9 L0 t, d All cases other than those provided in the two preceding paragraphs shall be investigated by the public security organs.
% v3 c6 W) g% K, w6 w9 @' B Article 14 The basic people's courts shall have jurisdiction as courts of first instance over ordinary criminal cases; however, those cases which fall under the jurisdiction of the people's courts at higher levels as stipulated by this Law shall be exceptions. |