The job of a criminal lawyer is high profile and emotionally charged and it is no surprise that members of the general public who meet or know a criminal lawyer have plenty of questions they want to ask.
Some of these will be simply inquisitory such as “what do you do on a day-to-day basis” but some may well wonder towards accusatory or even outright aggressive especially when it comes to sensitive topics such as defending those who are accused of extremely serious crimes such as murder and rape.
Criminal lawyers are misunderstood at the best of times and whilst their public reputation is not always the best, they are a critical cog in the justice system machine and vehemently defend the right to a free trial. If you are ever accused of a crime, or someone you know is, you will be extremely glad that criminal lawyers Glasgow exist.
To help bring light to the importance of this oft misunderstood profession, we have compiled a list of some of the most common questions that criminal lawyers get asked on a regular basis.
How can you defend guilty people?
Probably the question that criminal defence lawyers get asked most by their friends, family, and members of the general public. The truth is that defence lawyers are absolutely critical to a free and fair society where the right to a free trial is protected. Unless you are a public defender, criminal defence lawyers so have a say over which cases they take, but once they have taken a client on they are bound by attorney client privilege and cannot reveal any information they are given by their client, even if it incriminates them. The only exception to this rule is if they are given information about a crime that is to happen in the future.
Without defence lawyers, far more innocent people would end up in prison and even those who are guilty have the right to legal representation.
Does it affect your mental health?
This will depend on the individual lawyer in question but the role of criminal defence lawyer is certainly one that comes with a huge amount of emotional strain and can take a major toll on your health after a time. Every day you are dealing with potentially traumatic and upsetting information and it is not unusual for criminal defence lawyers to experience PTSD, depression, and other lawyer mental health conditions as a result of what they have seen.
Is it hard to see your client convicted?
Even the best criminal defence lawyer in the world doesn’t have a 100% success rate in having their clients acquitted. Over the time they spend together in the lead up to a trial or hearing, lawyers will often get to know their clients pretty well and it can be challenging for them to see them sent to prison or face a similar life changing punishment.
Do you ever feel threatened?
It is sadly not unusual for criminal lawyers to receive threats from family of the victim, the general public, or even their clients themselves. Many criminal lawyer clients are emotionally unstable and suffer from mental health problems, and whilst it is essential that they receive the proper legal representation this can put their lawyers in difficult situations.
Most criminal lawyers will have at least one story, usually more, about being physically attacked on the job or at least feeling as though they are about to be. This is not a profession for the faint hearted and most people would be a lot more understanding in their perception of criminal lawyers if they knew the sort of behaviour that they are exposed to on a regular basis.
How much do you earn?
Criminal lawyers make, on average, around £40,000-45,000 per year. Of course, high profile lawyers with a track record of success against the odds and a portfolio of high-profile clients can earn much more than this, but most people are surprised that the average criminal lawyer doesn’t earn more.
This certainly discounts the theory that some hold that criminal lawyers have no morals and are in it purely for the money. If you are a trainee lawyer who is driven by money more than the love of the law and a passion for seeing justice served, criminal lawyer is not the job for you.
Do you know everything about criminal law?
No-one knows everything when it comes to the law, and there is constantly case law to review and new precedents being set that makes the job one decades long learning curve. That said, criminal lawyers are incredibly knowledgeable and have devoted years of their lives to learning and studying the law before they have even stepped into a law firm office or courtroom for the first time.