Why are Legal practitioners needed

Question 1

Why are Legal practitioners needed?

Answer 1

To ensure the person has an adequate opportunity to test the evidence put against them, and to ensure no mistakes are made when deciding whether someone is guilty of a crime

Question 2

Reason 1

Answer 2

A person who is representing themselves lacks the skills and experience to navigate the criminal justice system and test the evidence

Question 3

Reason 2

Answer 3

A self-represented accused does generally have the objectivity to be able to make the right decisions. They may be overly invested or emotional about the outcome, and not have the ability to ‘stand back’ and assess the risks and the facts of the case

Question 4

Reason 3

Answer 4

For traumatic difficult cases, it avoids a situation where the accused is directly questioning witnesses sich as victims of crime, which can risk a victim being re-traumatized