China Inbound Legal Guides · Criminal Defense

Criminal Defense

Criminal defence is a status-and-clock problem: inquiry vs investigation, detention vs bail, who may see the person today.

Find criminal-defense counsel All practice guides

What procedural status, and which compulsory measure is running? Open the matching topic route or counsel — this hub does not decide the legal outcome on your facts.

China criminal-procedure route covering first contact, measures, investigation and trial.

First jobStatus and counsel, not a civil claim

UpdatedAugust 2026

AudienceForeign nationals, families, employers and in-house counsel

Counsel and measure clocks

Detention, arrest review and counsel access are time-sensitive. This is a procedure clock, not a personal-injury damages map and not a family-custody safety strip. For immediate physical danger use local emergency numbers.

Open first-contact route

Signature · Procedural status & compulsory-measures clock

Where is the person in the procedure — and what measure is running?

event → first action → preserve → classify → respond → authority

StatusInquiry, investigation, prosecution
MeasuresDetention, bail, residence watch
RightsCounsel access, family notice
EvidenceWhat can still be preserved
ForeignConsular and exit issues
CounselWho may appear today

Start with the situation

What procedural status, and which compulsory measure is running?

Each topic owns one bounded decision, then connects to deeper guides, local context or counsel. This hub does not duplicate long-form analysis.

01Priority screen

Status

First contact & status

When police, prosecutors or a summons appear — identify status before discussing the alleged facts.

First jobName the procedural status and get counsel; do not treat this as a civil claim file.

Open topic route

02Priority screen

Measures

Detention, bail & measures

Residential surveillance, detention, arrest and the clocks around release applications.

First jobIdentify the current measure and the next review point before arguing the merits.

Open topic route

Investigation

Investigation rights

Questioning, records, counsel access and what not to sign without understanding.

First jobPreserve rights and the record; do not fill a civil evidence pack as if this were a traffic claim.

Open topic route

Foreign

Foreign-national overlay

Consular notice, language, exit and the extra procedure that sits on a foreign passport.

First jobFlag nationality and consular issues as a separate overlay, not a substitute for the status file.

Open topic route

Overlays

Family & employer overlays

When a detention hits a family file or a workplace — connected hubs, not the criminal merits.

First jobSeparate family and employment questions from the criminal procedure file.

Open topic route

Trial

Trial & appeal

Once a case is prosecuted: hearing, judgment and the appeal path.

First jobName the stage — first instance or appeal — before collecting a new investigation theory.

Open topic route

Common entry points

Already know what is happening?

01Someone has been contacted or detainedStart with status and counsel, not a civil claim.02A compulsory measure is in placeStart with detention, bail and the clocks.03A foreign national is involvedStart with the nationality overlay plus status.

Curated resources

Go deeper without losing the route.

Long-form analysis lives on canonical guides. This hub only points.

core guide

China criminal procedure and defense guide

National procedure desk for foreign nationals — not a civil damages map.

deep guide