China amends Judges Law

China's top legislature Friday passed draft amendments to eight laws, including the Judges Law, meaning more legal professionals will be required to sit a new national exam.

The amendments were approved at the bimonthly session of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress, which ended Friday. They will take effect on Jan. 1, 2018.

More legal professionals, including administrative review and administrative adjudication workers, legal advisors at government agencies, will be required to sit the new exam, in addition to judges, prosecutors, lawyers and notaries.

Those who already hold aforementioned posts will not need to take the exam, said Jia Liqun, director of the Ministry of Justice national judicial exam division.

Current certificates will remain valid.

The amendment also states that applicants whose qualifications have previously been revoked cannot take the new exam, nor can they act as agents of litigants, unless they are guardians or close relatives of said litigants.