A group offering legal advice to the government of this county-level city, Qidong, in east China Jiangsu Province has been set up, highlighting a growing legal consciousness and perhaps helping officials make better use of their power.

Group member Liu Wanghong, a professor from Nanjing Normal University, said the actual establishment of the body was noteworthy.

"Local government leaders are courageous in introducing such an advisory group, which might restrict leaders in their future work," Liu emphasized.

He also said the group was responsible for giving suggestions "when the government issues documents or makes important decisions, so that these documents and decisions do not run counter to the law."

According to Liu, there are eight group members, all of whom are experts in the legal field. Some are professors while others are lawyers or officials based in Nanjing, the provincial capital, or Suzhou.

The establishment of the consulting team indicates that the government's understanding of the law is growing. Liu said the advisory group is the first of its kind among county-level cities.

Usually, governments have professional advisers in fields such as the economy and education.

But they seldom have an organization designed to offer legal advice, showing how the importance of law is increasingly recognized.

Ji Hongtao, director of the Law Office of the city government, thought the advisory group was vital.

"We are now increasingly involved in legal issues in our work because ordinary people's sense of law has improved as society has developed.

"We should make our decision-making better according to the law, avoid mistakes and better serve the people."

When not working for the group, members are at their own posts.

But when the government of Qidong needs them, they are summoned for a meeting to discuss relevant issues and offer suggestions.

The experts began to serve the government of Qidong late last year, according to Liu.

For example, he said, when the government had trouble with some citizens over land problems and was sued by them, the experts helped solve the problem.

"If the government's actions are not correct, we tell them and help them to settle the matter in a conciliatory way," Liu said. "As long as the government does not break the law, we provide them with countermeasures."

(China Daily October 10, 2005)