Represent yourself in court
Represent yourself in a criminal court
You can get legal advice to help you with your case, even if you choose to represent yourself in court.
Before you go to court
Read about what to expect when going to court.
Prepare evidence and witnesses
You can provide evidence and call witnesses to defend yourself.
Bring any documents you want to use as evidence to court and show them to the judge and prosecution on the day of your trial. You should also bring copies of your documents, if possible.
What will happen in court
Read Advicenow’s guide to going to court when the other side has a lawyer and you do not.
You can get legal advice at any time, even once the trial has started.
You will be given the opportunity to ask your witnesses and the prosecution’s witnesses questions. The prosecution can also ask the witnesses questions.
You can give a closing speech at the end of the trial. You can comment on the strengths of your case and the weaknesses of the prosecution’s case. You can also remind the judge about the significance of any of the evidence presented during the trial.