The Supreme People’s Court (SPC) and the China Disabled Persons’ Federation (CDPF) recently issued joint opinions on handicapped legal rights protection.

The opinions, divided into 22 articles, address the functions of national judicial assistance and legal aid and protect equal access of the handicapped to legal services.

The opinions point out that it’s necessary to apply all kinds of measures to provide better assistance and legal aid to handicapped people involved in litigation. For example, courts should seal documents with a “green chop” to facilitate the handicapped in carrying out all legal procedures.

Concerning handicapped-related cases where people may have mobility or location issues, courts can directly take steps to file case materials. The opinions also require green channels for case filing through online, telephone or personal attendance (doorstep) methods.

As regards a flexible trial working system, the opinions provide for a circuit trial mode including vehicle-mounted courts, on-the-spot trials and doorstep mediation.

Courts should severely crack down on behavior such as forcing the handicapped to work by using violence, intimidation and illegal restrictions of personal freedom or organizing minors to pilfer, defraud, loot or take part in racketeering activities.