The production of this fifth edition of the Criminal Law Duty Lawyer Handbook was necessary due to substantial legislative changes and case law developments.
Legal Aid Queensland commissioned Legal Aid Queensland’s in-house counsel and lawyers to revise the text.
Several Legal Aid Queensland staff contributed to the text, including Kylie Bell, Joseph Briggs, Nadia Bromley, Darin Clearwater, Amber Crowley, Claudia Davies, John Dean, Tracey de Simone, Peter Delibaltas, Mark Dixon, Sue Ganasan, Len Handley, Nicholas Hanly, David Law, Jakub Lodziak, Craig May, Justin O’May, Howard Posner, Laura Reece, Laura Rouse, Leigh Smith, Rachel Smith, Susan Stockwell, David Thompson, Kate Volk, Robyn Wilkinson and Penny Williams.
Their efforts have ensured that the Criminal Law Duty Lawyer Handbook will remain an essential tool for duty lawyers.
Unless otherwise stated, this edition reflects the law as it applied at December 2012.
Legal Aid Queensland is responsible for Queensland criminal law duty lawyer accreditation. Please direct all queries about the Criminal Law Duty Lawyer Handbook and the accreditation process to Legal Aid Queensland.
Legal Aid Queensland has determined the following priorities regarding the provision of duty lawyer services.
No person charged with a criminal or serious simple offence should, through ignorance, lack of financial resources or other disadvantage, be denied legal advice and representation before the court at either the initial appearance or a subsequent remand.
Within its financial constraints, one of Legal Aid Queensland’s long-term priorities is to provide a free duty lawyer service to all defendants appearing unrepresented before magistrates courts and childrens courts in Queensland.
Legal Aid Queensland will establish duty lawyer schemes, using the services of salaried lawyers of Legal Aid Queensland and private practitioners, to provide legal advice and legal representation on pleas of guilty or applications for remand and bail.
Legal Aid Queensland