What help can a Unit barrister give?
Barristers acting through the Unit can assist with anything they would do normally. The principal expertise of a barrister is giving specialist legal advice, and representing clients at hearings in courts, tribunals and mediation. Specialist legal advice can be given before any court proceedings have been started, as well as at any stage during proceedings. Advice may be given in writing, or at a meeting.
Barristers act under professional rules which mean that they cannot carry out factual enquiries, interview witnesses, provide general initial advice or deal with correspondence or court procedure on a client’s behalf. This is work that would normally be carried out by a solicitor or adviser to the client.
Volunteer barristers can help in all areas of law including criminal injuries, commercial, crime, defamation, employment, family, housing, professional negligence and planning. They can assist in cases in all courts and tribunals, including cases in the Court of Appeal, High Court, County Court, Coroners Court, House of Lords, Employment Tribunal, Employment Appeal Tribunal and many other tribunals and public enquiries. Volunteer barristers can also assist at mediation.
What the Unit’s barristers can and cannot do
Cases are accepted on a step by step basis. For example, a case may initially be accepted for advice and only later approved for representation. This is for a number of reasons, including the importance of managing both the applicant’s and the volunteer’s expectations, and as a consequence of the professional rules which a barrister acts under.
Volunteer barristers cannot advise on a continuing basis over a long period of time or take over the general running of a case. In a complex case, assistance is more likely to be given if a solicitor or advice agency can deal with some aspects of the work.