2023 Criminal Law CPD Series: Self-represented Accused and Appellants in the Criminal Justice System and a Prosecutor’s Duty

Ethics & Professional Responsibility
Professional Skills

CPD Points: 1.5

About

Self-represented accused and appellants often add complexity and time to court proceedings. Prosecutors have a unique role in matters involving such persons, as they must balance their duty to the Court and their responsibilities to the ODPP. On one hand, the prosecutor must act on behalf of the State and related stakeholders (e.g. victims, police) and, on the other, they must assist the Court to ensure that justice is effected quickly. This seminar will consider such issues as: what a self-represented actually is; the arrangements that are made for self-represented litigants in the criminal justice system; relevant prosecution guidelines; practical issues that arise concerning self-represented litigants; balancing prosecutorial duties with the duty to assist the Court; and case law that bears on such issues.

Presenters

Felicity Evans is a Solicitor with the NSW ODPP, based at Parramatta. Felicity has significant experience in District Court appeals involving self-represented litigants and holds a JD from UNSW and an LLM in Global Laws from the University of Sydney.