Hundreds of criminal trials take place every day across Scotland and criminal defence lawyers are crucial to their outcome.

Whilst we see and hear about these lawyers every day in news stories and on TV, most people don’t give much thought to what makes a good criminal lawyer.

If you are accused of a criminal offence, however, the importance of hiring a lawyer with certain attributes is crucial to building the best possible defence for your case.

A criminal solicitor specialises in representing those who have been accused of a criminal offence, providing expert advice, questioning witnesses, negotiating with the prosecution, and presenting the best possible case for the defence should the case reach court.

There are certain qualities that are possessed by the best criminal defence lawyers that help them to achieve the best chance of success for their client.

These Include:

Communication

Communication between the accused and their defence lawyer is absolutely vital to building a successful defence.

A lawyer should be able to listen to their client’s needs, wishes, and questions and use this information to act in their best interests at all times.

The legal process can be difficult to understand, especially for someone who has never faced criminal charges before, so helping to guide a client throughout the case is an important skill.

In many situations, a criminal case will be settled out of court, whether through a plea agreement, or in the form of a settlement, so negotiating with the opposite party is an essential part of any lawyer’s role.

Knowledge

The world of law is an ever changing place and lawyers should not only have an excellent knowledge of the specific area of law associated with your case but also keep on top of more general developments within the industry.

Knowing the outcomes of similar cases, and any successful defences that were used in those scenarios are vital, as these may be applicable to their current and future clients.

A good way to check that the lawyer that you are considering has the required expertise is to ask for examples of similar cases that they have been successfully handled in the past and for an idea of how they intend to approach your case.

They may not be able to give you specifics of previous cases but during this conversation you should be able to get an idea of their expertise in the industry.

Confidentiality

Confidentiality is one of the most important attributes of a criminal lawyer.

The only way that a lawyer can build their client the best possible defence is if they know every little detail about the case, and this only works if the client can trust that any personal information will go no further.

It is essential that a criminal lawyer is able to investigate and verify all information they are given, without exposing a client to outside bias or creating a possible conflict of interest.

The trust built between a defence lawyer and client is the foundation of any successful case, and any sign that that trust may not hold is a weakness that could be exploited by the prosecution, so the value of complete confidentiality cannot be overexaggerated.

Assertiveness

It is vital that a lawyer is able to be calm with their client, listening to their concerns, and patiently dealing with their concerns.

However, the time may come during the case where an assertive and even aggressive manner may need to be adopted in order to get the best possible results.

Representing clients during police interviews is one of the key roles of a defence lawyer, and speaking assertively on behalf of the accused is essential in avoiding intimidation and their client becoming flustered.

This approach may also be effective when negotiating with the prosecution or questioning witnesses, both situations where it is important that the opposing party knows that a lawyer is in command of the situation.

Decision Making

Criminal defence lawyers are often put in situations where the decisions that they make could have a major impact on the future of their client’s life.

It is, therefore, important that a good defence lawyer has excellent decision making skills, judging the current situation, coming to the correct conclusion, and taking the best possible course of action, often in extremely highly pressurised situations.

When looking for a criminal defence lawyer Glasgow, make sure that you are confident that when. The time comes, your lawyer will act with your best interests in mind, without hesitation.

Get In Touch

Aamer Anwar is Scotland’s leading criminal defence law firm, with a team of expert lawyers who have a proven track record of successfully taking on the legal system.

For more information on our services or to arrange a legal consultation, contact us today by phone on 0141 429 7090, or by email at office@aameranwar.com.