Do I Need a Lawyer to Help Me in Court?

You are not required to have a lawyer represent you in court but it is usually a good idea. A lawyer can do things like appear for you without you being there (in certain cases), negotiate with the Prosecutor, make any arguments that need to be made, run your trial and give you legal advice throughout the case. A lawyer understands the Canadian criminal justice system and all the laws that apply. If a lawyer represents you, everything you say to them is confidential and they for you to protect your rights and advocate for you.

There are a few different options for lawyers. You can be represented by a lawyer who works for Legal Aid or who is appointed by the court. You can contact a pro bono organization to see if they can help. You can also hire a lawyer.

Lawyers who work for Legal Aid represent people for no cost. You qualify for a lawyer if you are facing the possibility of jail time and:

• you are receiving income support from the government or your First Nation
• you are working but you earn a low income

Phone: 1.800.667.3764

If you cannot afford to hire a lawyer but you do not qualify for Legal Aid, you can ask the court to appoint a lawyer to represent you. You need to be able to convince a judge that you will not be able to have a fair trial without a lawyer and that you cannot afford one but have been denied Legal Aid. The court will consider things like how serious the charge is and your personal circumstances.

Get more information at the courthouse or see the application procedure and forms here.

Free legal assistance may be available to low income residents who have been denied Legal Aid.

If you live in Saskatoon, you can contact CLASSIC Law:

In Person: 123-20th St. W
Phone: 306.657.6100
Email: info@classiclaw.ca

Outside of Saskatoon, you can contact Pro Bono Law Saskatchewan at 1.855.833.7257.

You can hire a lawyer to represent you. You will want to ask how you will be billed for the lawyer's services and whether you must pay any money up front. You will want to know how much experience the lawyer has in defending the type of charges you are facing.

You can search for criminal lawyers in your area by using the Law Society of Saskatchewan's "Finding Legal Assistance" directory.

If none of these options are available to you, you can represent yourself in court. Remember also that the duty counsel phone line (the "Brydges line") is available at no cost to anyone in custody. Legal Aid will also represent anyone who needs help with a bail hearing, no matter their income. The Canadian Judicial Council has a guide that has a lot of detailed information on representing yourself in a criminal case: The Criminal Law Handbook.