As criminal defence lawyers, we are often asked what it is that
we do, and why.
How is that we defend 'criminals', people charged with
sometimes immoral and serious crimes? How do we represent people if
we 'know' they are 'guilty'?
What Do We Do?
Criminal defence lawyers are a fundamental part of the legal
system in Australia.
Our role is about ensuring anyone who is the subject of an
accusation receives a fair trial.
This role reflects the manifestation of a fundamental human
right:
"In the determination of any
criminal charge. everyone shall be entitled to a fair and public
hearing by a competent, independent and impartial tribunal
established by law."1
We represent individuals, groups, organisations, and
corporations where there is an allegation of wrongdoing involved
(generally leveled at our client, although not always). The truly
consistent feature is that we represent people in stressful
situations who have a compelling story to tell. Not
