Going to court
If you have been released from a police station you may have been released unconditionally, which means that you don’t have to go back to the police station and the matter is over. However, the police might arrest you got the same offence later if they find other evidence.
Two things might happen if you have been charged with an offence. You may be detained (possibly overnight) and brought before a Magistrate (in court) who will decide the question of bail. You will be seen by a Legal Aid lawyer if this occurs, usually just before you go into court.
Alternatively, you might be released on police bail, where you may have bail conditions imposed, such as living at a certain address, attending court on a certain day, or reporting to a police station every day, once a week, etc.
In either event, it is very important to get legal advice.
1. You can get information by telephone by contacting the Law Access NSW legal help line on 1300 888 529. There is also a lot of information on the Law Access website.
2. To get legal advice specifically in relation to your criminal charge, you can see a lawyer from Legal Aid. You can arrange an appointment for a face-to-face interview, lasting about 20 minutes. This is free and is not means-tested (it doesn’t matter if you are working full-time). You can make an appointment by ringing Legal Aid Head Office on 9219 5000. The Legal Aid website also has a lot of information.
3. The Legal Aid lawyer will be able to advise you as to whether you can get a Legal Aid lawyer to represent you. This will depends on your assets and income, as well as the seriousness of the offence with which you have been charged.
Further reading
See the free online copy of Defend yourself: defending yourself in Court by Tim Anderson.
The Legal Information Access Centre (LIAC) website has a wide range of information on criminal and other legal matters.
The Find Legal Answers website is run by LIAC.
The criminal chapter from the 11th edition of the Law Handbook (Redfern Legal Centre Publishing) is available online.
The HSC Legal Studies News Watch, run by the NSW State Library, is also of interest.
