Duty counsel

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A Duty counsel is a court appointed lawyer in the Canadian criminal justice system. The lawyer is often the first legal advice given to a detained respondent. The Duty Counsel is the arrested person's representative to the court, unless the accused has secured other legal advice. Persons arrested and informed of their rights will have to be informed of their right to speak with a Duty Counsel before answering questions. The Duty Counsel may be in the court docket, responding to the appearance of the detained person serially, or the Duty Counsel may be available over the phone after a person is arrested.

Duty counsel is also available in family law and child protection cases. Duty counsel will advise clients and sometimes speak for them in court, but will not take on cases in the long-term. They can also assist with paperwork and, depending on the court, attend case conferences with clients.^[1]

[edit] See also

• Duty solicitor
• Public defender

[edit] References