China's procuratorates on Tuesday initiated a pilot program that enables lawyers to consult case files on the Internet, instead of going to procuratorates in person, said the Supreme People's Procuratorate (SPP).

Counsels can complete the whole process of consulting case files, including identity checks, submitting applications and consulting, through the website www.12309.gov.cn, a portal that provides procuratorial services nationwide.

The on-site method for case-file consulting will be retained for special circumstances, said the SPP.

The program will better protect the right of lawyers to perform their duties, said Wan Chun, an official with the SPP, adding that the program is currently being piloted in Shanghai, Anhui and Chongqing, and will be promoted across the country in the second half of the year.

The SPP vows to further optimize related services, such as mobile case-file consulting and long-distance meetings with defense counsels, to provide more convenient and informationized procuratorial services to lawyers and the public.