Watching Brief

It is one’s constitutional right to be legally represented at court proceedings. Each litigant has the right to legal representative of his or her own choice.

This freedom of choice is slightly limited when one is a complainant or state witness in criminal proceedings. A criminal matter is generally scheduled to a random court by the head of court and, the witnesses and complainant/s must be represented by the prosecutor of that court and therefore there is no choice in this regard.

This lack of choice can be mitigated by the complainant or witnesses instructing a watching brief to assist them during court proceedings. As the name itself might suggest, the watching brief will oversee and watch over all court proceedings to ensure that the instructions of the clients are carried out. Undue inhibitions (eg. Unnecessary delays, etc) are observed by the watching brief and reported on. This minimizes the frustration and angst sometimes present in witnesses and complainants in criminal matters. A Watching Brief will also prepare the clients on court procedure, etiquette, cross examination and so forth.

This firm offers consulting and advising on watching brief instructions and has the requisite knowledge, experience and expertise that your matter requires.