Part Two Filing a Case, Investigation, and Initiation of Public Prosecution

Chapter I Filing a Case

Article 83 The public security organs or the People's Procuratorates shall, upon discovering facts of crimes or criminal suspects, file the cases for investigation within the scope of their jurisdiction.

Article 84 Any unit or individual, upon discovering facts of a crime or a criminal suspect, shall have the right and duty to report the case or provide information to a public security organ, a People's Procuratorate or a People's Court.

When his personal or property rights are infringed upon, the victim shall have the right to report to a public security organ, a People's Procuratorate or a People's Court about the facts of the crime or bring a complaint to it against the criminal suspect.

The public security organ, the People's Procuratorate or the People's Court shall accept all reports, complaints and information. If a case does not fall under its jurisdiction, it shall refer the case to the competent organ and notify the person who made the report, lodged the complaint or provided the information. If the case does not fall under its jurisdiction but calls for emergency measures, it shall take emergency measures before referring the case to the competent organ.

Where an offender delivers himself up to a public security organ, a People's Procuratorate or a People's Court, the provisions of the third paragraph shall apply.

Article 85 Reports, complaints and information may be filed in writing or orally. The officer receiving an oral report, complaint or information shall make a written record of it, which, after being read to the reporter, complainant or informant and found free of error, shall be signed or sealed by him or her.

The officer receiving the complaint or information shall clearly explain to the complainant or the informant the legal responsibility that shall be incurred for making a false accusation. However, a complaint or information that does not accord with the facts, or even a mistaken complaint shall be strictly distinguished from a false accusation, as long as no fabrication of facts or falsification of evidence is involved.

The public security organs, the People's Procuratorates and the People's Courts shall insure the safety of reporters, complainants and informants as well as their near relatives. If the reporters, complainants or informants wish not to make their names and acts of reporting, complaining or informing known to the public, these shall be kept confidential for them.

Article 86 A People's Court, People's Procuratorate or public security organ shall, within the scope of its jurisdiction, promptly examine the materials provided by a reporter, complainant or informant and the confession of an offender who has voluntarily surrendered. If it believes that there are facts of a crime and criminal responsibility should be investigated, it shall file a case. If it believes that there are no facts of a crime or that the facts are obviously incidental and do not require investigation of criminal responsibility, it shall not file a case and shall notify the complainant of the reason. If the complainant does not agree with the decision, he may ask for reconsideration.

Article 87 Where a People's Procuratorate considers that a case should be filed for investigation by a public security organ but the latter has not done so, or where a victim considers that a case should be filed for investigation by a public security organ but the latter has not done so and the victim has brought the matter to a People's Procuratorate, the People's Procuratorate shall request the public security organ to state the reasons for not filing the case. If the People's Procuratorate considers that the reasons for not filing the case given by the public security organ are untenable, it shall notify the public security organ to file the case, and upon receiving the notification, the public security organ shall file the case.

Article 88 As to a case of private prosecution, the victim shall have the right to bring a suit directly to a People's Court. If the victim is dead or has lost his ability of conduct, his legal representatives and near relatives shall have the right to bring a suit to a People's Court. The People's Court shall accept it according to law.

Chapter II Investigation

Section 1 General Provisions

Article 89 With respect to a criminal case which has been filed, the public security organ shall carry out investigation, collecting and obtaining evidence to prove the criminal suspect guilty or innocent or to prove the crime to be minor or grave. Active criminals or major suspects may be detained first according to law, and criminal suspects who meet the conditions for arrest shall be arrested according to law.

Article 90 After investigation, the public security organ shall start preliminary inquiry into a case for which there is evidence that supports the facts of the crime, in order to verify the evidence which has been collected and obtained.

Section 2 Interrogation of the Criminal Suspect

Article 91 Interrogation of a criminal suspect must be conducted by the investigators of a People's Procuratorate or public security organ. During an interrogation, there must be no fewer than two investigators participating.

Article 92 A criminal suspect who need not be arrested or detained may be summoned to a designated place in the city or county where the criminal suspect stays for interrogation, or he may be interrogated at his residence. However, the interrogators shall produce their papers issued by a People's Procuratorate or a public security organ.

The time for interrogation through summons or forced appearance shall not exceed 12 hours. A criminal suspect shall not be detained under the disguise of successive summons or forced appearance.

Article 93 When interrogating a criminal suspect, the investigators shall first ask the criminal suspect whether or not he has committed any criminal act, and let him state the circumstances of his guilt or explain his innocence; then they may ask him questions. The criminal suspect shall answer the investigators' questions truthfully, but he shall have the right to refuse to answer any questions that are irrelevant to the case.

Article 94 During the interrogation of a criminal suspect who is deaf or mute, an officer who has a good command of sign language shall participate, and such circumstances shall be noted in the record.