These practices provided basis and experience for the military attorney system. In September 1992,the Military Commission of the Central Committee of Chinese Communist Party approved the General Political Department to set up the Bureau of Justice to control military legal service within a unified system. In March 1993, the National Department of Justice and the General Political Department decided together to establish military attorney system officially. The office of legal counsel above the army level is the working body for military attorneys to carry on their duties. The military attorneys can be devided into three parts, including professional attorneys, part-time attorneys, specially invited attorneys.
Professional attorneys are the main body of military attorneys.
The specially invited attorneys are retired officers who have worked in the military courts or military procuratorates and have been employeed by the office of legal counsel. All the military attorneys will be subjected to the national attorney ranks,have the rights and responsibilities in accordance with the law. According to the Regulation of Potical Work in the P.L.A. approved by the Central Committee of Chinese Communist Party and the Military Commission of the Central Committee of Chinese Communist Party, the job of military attorneys is one of the main duties of the General Political Department and political organs of every level. The establishment of working body,the appointment and selection of personnels,the substance and funds needed in work are all under the governing of the General Political Department. It states in artile 50 that 'the acquirement of attorney qualification,rights and responsibilities and law of the conduct of military attorney who provides legal service to the armed forces are subjected to this code.