Town Agent Service – Criminal Matters

It means, if you are charged with an offence and asked to appear before  court for you if court allows. But court usually never allows “just anyone” to appear for an accused. If it is a first appearance, which means police gave you notice to appear, then you must have to attend the court, and it is suggested that if possible, you should attend with a lawyer.

If in the first appearance, the matter can not be resolved for any reason, court will set a future date for mention. There can be many reason for that. Most common one is that the offence is serious enough which requires complete brief evidence to be disclosed.

On mention date, court will ask you or the prosecution (who is appearing for police) about the status of the case, such as if brief of evidence has been disclosed or not, or if a trial or sentence date can be set or not etc. On mention date, the Court usually simply gets update about the case and sets a future date, either for another mention, or for sentence or for trial of all the parties are ready.

In certain situations, lawyers may send their law clerk or a town agent to attend the mention on their behalf, especially when the sessions like mentioned above which only requires providing updates and does not necessitate the personal appearance of the accused. The clerk or town agent, who is instructed by your lawyer, will go to court and provide the necessary updates to the court about the case’s status and any relevant developments. This approach allows for efficient handling of routine matters and avoids burdening the accused with unnecessary court appearances when they are not required and most importantly, it saves costs.

When it comes to court mentions, there is a possibility that the court may ask questions, and if the answers provided are not satisfactory, it could lead to issues. In such situations, the court may direct the clerk to step aside and consult with your lawyer to seek clarification. In certain cases, the court might even require the lawyer to be present if there is any ambiguity.

Because of these potential complexities, it is crucial to have an experienced person attending these mentions. When handled properly, they can be relatively straightforward, but if not done correctly, they may give rise to complications and challenges. Having someone with expertise in criminal matters can help navigate these situations effectively and ensure a smooth process.