What You Need To Know About Criminal Barristers
If you are charged with a criminal offence, you need to know who to contact to represent you. Should you be calling a solicitor or should you try to find a criminal barrister? It is important to know what criminal barristers do and the realities of their jobs.
What Criminal Barristers Do
Criminal barristers will advocate or provide advice to people who are being prosecuted in the UK criminal courts. The criminal barrister will generally be instructed by solicitors to provide this service. If the criminal proceedings are for a minor offence such as drug possession or benefits fraud, solicitor advocates will generally be employed instead of criminal barristers. This is due to the fact that these cases will be heard in the Magistrate’s Court and not the Crown Court.
Any case which will be prosecuted in the Crown Court will require a criminal barrister. These will generally be cases with more serious charges such as supplying drugs, fraud and murder. Criminal barristers will also be employed when a case is heard in the Court of Appeal or the Supreme Court.
Criminal barristers will have to be up to date on the law as it is always evolving in ways that affect their clients. The success of their case will generally rest on the preparation which they complete for the case and their knowledge of the law. It is also important to note that criminal barristers will work on both sides of the law as they can represent you when you face charges or they could be the ones that prosecute you for the charges you face.
The Realities Of The Job
To better understand a criminal barrister, you will need to understand the realities of this job. Criminal barristers will need to have good oratory skills as well as a level head and great time management. This is due to the fact that a criminal barrister will generally handle a number of cases each day. These cases may be handled in different courts which makes time management important.
When a criminal barrister starts their career, they will generally be assigned to minor offences such as motoring offences and directions hearings in the Magistrate’s Court. Only after the end of their pupillage will they move onto the Crown Court and be instructed on their own. When they reach the Crown Court, they will generally start with small trials such as those for common assault. The article below will give you information on high profile criminal barristers.
