China’s top group of lawyers is putting together rules which would ban lawyers from using the internet to publicise cases. The draft rules say that lawyers cannot make ‘misleading comments, issues open letters or incite demonstrations to pressure courts or judges to review decision. They will also be forbidden from criticising the Chinese legal and political system. The new proposals by the All China Lawyers Association tie in with rules from the Chinese Government on online behaviour. Lawyers who do not obey the rules will receive a warning or be publicly condemned. If the violation casues severe consequences, the association could suspend the lawyer's membership for six months to a year. The lawyer could also be expelled. However, they have not met with universal approval from lawyers who have criticised the potential online curbs. Sources: Gulf Today ; The Straits Times