Back to Contents

Chapter IX Other Provisions

Article 82 For the purpose of this law, the definitions of the following terms are:

(1) "Investigation" means the specialized investigatory work and related compulsory measures carried out according to law by the public security organs and People's Procuratorates in the process of handling cases.

(2) "Parties" means victims, private prosecutors, criminal suspects, defendants and the plaintiffs and defendants in incidental civil actions.

(3) "Legal representatives" means the parents, foster parents or guardians of a person being represented and representatives of the State organ or public organization responsible for that person's protection;

(4) "Participants in the proceedings" means the parties, legal representatives, agents ad litem, defenders, witnesses, expert witnesses and interpreters;

(5) "agents ad litem" means persons entrusted by victims in cases of public prosecution and their legal representatives or near relatives and by private prosecutors in cases of private prosecution and their legal representatives to participate in legal proceedings on their behalf, and persons entrusted by parties in incidental civil actions and their legal representatives to participate in legal proceedings on their behalf.

(6) "Near relatives" means a person's husband or wife, father, mother, sons, daughters, and brothers and sisters born of the same parents.