From migrant workers seeking unpaid wages to seniors waiting on overdue support payments, the difficulties of navigating China’s legal system have sometimes led the country’s most vulnerable groups to forgo legal action. Now, its top judicial authorities are stepping in to help.

China’s Supreme People’s Court and Supreme People’s Procuratorate jointly announced new guidelines on Tuesday, allowing procuratorates to assist vulnerable individuals in filing civil lawsuits, at no cost to the plaintiff. The measures took effect on March 2 but were only publicly announced this week.

Under the new guidelines, those eligible to seek procuratorial support include victims of domestic violence, people with disabilities, minors, migrant farmers, seniors, and the families of military personnel who died in the line of duty or from illness.

Local procuratorates have spent the past few years piloting mechanisms to support vulnerable groups in civil litigation. In April 2025, a county in the southwestern Sichuan province began offering procuratorial support for civil litigation and on-site visits for investigations and hearings, aiming to improve legal accessibility. That same year, a district in the central Hubei province developed an interdisciplinary mediation system involving the local procuratorate, labor unions, and courts.

The new measure aims to “guarantee equal access to legal action for all parties” and “uphold fairness and justice in society,” according to regulators.

Procuratorate staff will provide a range of support to eligible individuals, from clarifying relevant legal provisions to filing the required procedures. Illiterate individuals can file requests orally.

Although China’s support system for vulnerable groups is “fairly comprehensive,” prior to the release of the new guidelines, support was “scattered,” Yang Zhengxiong, a lawyer at the Guangzhou-based Z&T Law Firm, told Sixth Tone.

Previously, there was no unified support system to aid vulnerable groups in filing civil cases. Labor unions handled cases of migrant workers seeking unpaid wages, while local women’s federations helped domestic violence victims and minors file lawsuits.

“Introducing procuratorates as authoritative regulators into civil affairs litigation complements the existing, more fragmented assistance systems,” Yang said.

In regular civil cases, plaintiffs must supply identification documents and supporting evidence, such as from financial agencies or hospitals. Procuratorate intervention can facilitate investigations and evidence collection, as procuratorates have greater authority to access data. For those unable to afford legal representation, prosecutors may coordinate with legal aid institutions to arrange low-cost legal representation.

“It’s essentially a one-stop service,” Yang said.

With the regulation in place, the real impact of the guideline will depend on successful local implementation and effective coordination among departments, according to Yang.

“In domestic violence cases, for instance, the system’s success depends on cooperation between the procuratorate, local women’s federations, and accessibility to hospital data,” he said.

Editor: Marianne Gunnarsson.

(Header image: VCG)