Magistrates Court

[ubears]

How best do you defend yourself in a magistrates court if you can not get legal aid to defend a charge of battery

[oldmaggie]

You should be able to get advice from the duty solicitor. When you go to court ask to see him/her before you appear before the magistrates

[paraffin]

Get yourself a solicitor is the best advice. The Magistrates will certainly recommend it, in my experience.

[ubears]

Dont be afraid to represent yourself - you will get short shrift fron the clerk of the court and the bench - but don't let them intimidate you, Solicitors charging �250 an hour to represent you are on a nice little earner and legal people are part of a cosy little club who like to use latin phrases because it make them feel superior, Don't let them grind you down.