'Built by lawyers for lawyers': people self-representing in court face challenges

  • 📰 timescolonist
  • ⏱ Reading Time:
  • 47 sec. here
  • 2 min. at publisher
  • 📊 Quality Score:
  • News: 22%
  • Publisher: 75%

Canada Headlines News

Canada Latest News,Canada Headlines

Every accused has a constitutional right to represent themselves and no court can override that decision, she said, as long as the person is fit to stand trial.

Before Mohamed Omar told a jury he had nothing to say in his defence in a second-degree murder trial, the judge presiding over his trial asked him several times if he was sure about that decision.

It was an unusual trial that sparked questions about the challenges of representing oneself against serious criminal charges and the fairness of an outcome when one party is out of their depth. “Generally, the court must respect the strategic choices of an accused person who is fit to stand trial, even where those choices seem irrational or unwise,” says the decision dismissing an appeal by Emanuel Kahsai, who was convicted of the 2015 first-degree murders of his mother and a woman in her care after representing himself at trial.

In cases where a person is self-represented, a judge can choose to appoint a lawyer as amicus to ensure the trial unfolds fairly. An amicus can take on some of the roles typically assigned to defence counsel, including calling evidence and providing closing submissions, although they are not a defence lawyer appointed to the accused, Runyon said. They act as the court’s lawyer.

Source: Law Daily Report (lawdailyreport.net)

 

Thank you for your comment. Your comment will be published after being reviewed.
Please try again later.
We have summarized this news so that you can read it quickly. If you are interested in the news, you can read the full text here. Read more:

 /  🏆 15. in CA

Canada Latest News, Canada Headlines

Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.

Every new home built requires $100,000 in infrastructure spending: reportAs Canada aims to build homes faster, both the public and private sectors will need to boost spending on municipal infrastructure, a new report from the Canadian Urban Institute says.
Source: timescolonist - 🏆 15. / 75 Read more »

Every new home built requires $100,000 in infrastructure spending: reportAs Canada aims to build homes faster, both the public and private sectors will need to boost spending on municipal infrastructure, a new report from the Canadian Urban Institute says.
Source: BNNBloomberg - 🏆 83. / 50 Read more »

Every new home built requires $100,000 in infrastructure spending: reportAs Canada aims to build homes faster, both the public and private sectors will need to boost spending on municipal infrastructure, a new report from the Canadian Urban Institute says.
Source: SooToday - 🏆 8. / 85 Read more »

This $3.5 million Toronto condo has a built-in aquarium and Cookie Monster artMany people find staring at fish soothing. In fact, there's tons of research that suggests that interacting with fish in aquariums lowers blood pre...
Source: blogTO - 🏆 44. / 63 Read more »

How one Canadian tech millionaire built a tiny-home communityMarcel LeBrun made millions as a software tycoon, then funnelled his fortune into 12 Neighbours, a planned community of 99 affordable tiny homes in Fredericton. For the city’s unhoused, it’s a chance to turn their luck around.
Source: macleans - 🏆 19. / 71 Read more »

Donated Canadian-built armoured vehicles break down often, Ukrainian commander saysA welder works on the Senator APC at vehicle manufacturer Roshel after Canada's defence minister announced the supply of 200 Senator armoured personnel carriers to Ukraine, as part of a new package of military assistance, in Mississauga, Ontario, Canada January 19, 2023.
Source: CBCPolitics - 🏆 79. / 51 Read more »