Chinese lawyers must promise to ‘fulfil the sacred mission of socialism’ or be denied a licence to practise, the country’s justice ministry ordered yesterday.

Among other pledges, China’s lawyers must also now swear ‘loyalty to the motherland and its people’ and vow to ‘uphold the leadership of the Communist party of China’.

A notice posted on the Ministry of Justice website said that the oath will raise the political, moral and professional quality of the country's lawyers.

The new hard line comes as the authorities continue to crackdown on Arab-spring inspired dissent and as they prepare for a leadership handover later this year.

Legal reformers say the government under president Hu Jintao (pictured) has consistently put the party’s interests above the law. It has suspended or revoked lawyers' licences to stop them taking sensitive cases, such as defending pro-democracy dissidents, while other lawyers have been attacked and detained, they say.

Human rights lawyer Mo Shaoping, quoted in today’s Guardian, said that this is the first time that lawyers have been required to pledge allegiance to the party in an oath. He said: ‘This will hurt the development of the Chinese legal system. As a lawyer, you should only pay attention to the law and be faithful to your client.’