Traffic offences heard in the Magistrates’ Court

30 Jan

If you have been charged with a traffic offence that is to be heard in the Magistrates’ Court, you have a number of options about your appearance in court:

You can represent yourself. However, this can be difficult for people with no legal experience. (See Chapter 2.2: Representing yourself in court.)
You can pay a lawyer to represent you in court. This can be expensive (e.g. over $1000 a day).
While legal aid is not generally available for traffic offences, a duty lawyer at court may be able to provide free legal advice and representation on the day of the court hearing.