If you are granted the official status of a victim, you have the right to participate in criminal proceedings. You can exercise these rights yourself or through a representative.
Your rights
With the official status of a victim, you or your representative have the right to:
- participate in the court hearings
- familiarize with the case
- receive information on the status of the criminal proceedings
- participate in the assessment of special protection needs
- provide evidence
- participate in the examination of the evidence
- file complaints and submissions
- express your opinion at all stages of criminal proceedings
- be accompanied by a person of your choice throughout all proceedings
- receive the judgement and the protocols from the hearings
- appeal the judgement
Legal representative
Your legal representative in criminal proceedings can be a lawyer or lawyer’s assistant (at the first instance court in cases concerning minor or less serious crimes) or, in some circumstances, a person holding a law degree who you authorise to represent you and to make sure your rights in the proceedings are observed.
important in most cases if you are a minor, you will need a legal representative to participate in criminal proceedings to represent your rights.
Also, if you are a minor, your statutory representative may participate in the criminal proceedings. Your statutory representative may be your parents, adoptive parents or legal guardian.