Duty counsel
Encyclopedia
In Ontario, Canada a duty counsel is a lawyer
paid by Legal Aid Ontario
who provides limited legal services in criminal, family law and child protection matters to people who arrive at court without representation, mainly in the Ontario Court of Justice.
This 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 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.
Lawyer
A lawyer, according to Black's Law Dictionary, is "a person learned in the law; as an attorney, counsel or solicitor; a person who is practicing law." Law is the system of rules of conduct established by the sovereign government of a society to correct wrongs, maintain the stability of political...
paid by Legal Aid Ontario
Legal Aid Ontario
Legal Aid Ontario is a publicly funded and publicly accountable non-profit corporation, responsible for administering the legal aid program in the province of Ontario, Canada...
who provides limited legal services in criminal, family law and child protection matters to people who arrive at court without representation, mainly in the Ontario Court of Justice.
This 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 may be available over the phone after a person is arrested.
Duty counsel is also available in family law
Family law
Family law is an area of the law that deals with family-related issues and domestic relations including:*the nature of marriage, civil unions, and domestic partnerships;...
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.