Question

Who is the defence lawyer?

Answer 1

Hint: Every case that is heard at the court has two a minimum of two participants, i.e. the prosecutor and the defence. Each of these participants has representatives in the form of lawyers or advocates.

Complete answer:
A lawyer is a person who practices law by interpreting and applying it as an advocate or attorney but not as a paralegal. He/she practically applies the legal knowledge and theories to solve legal problems of individuals or organizations or the public.

During a hearing of a particular case at the court, the case is brought up by the victim or whoever is trying to accuse someone of an offence. The lawyer who fights for this case is called the prosecutor. The person or organization that is accused is known as the defendant. Subsequently, the lawyer who fights for the defendants is known as the defence lawyer.

Depending on the kind of case a lawyer is dealing with, the lawyer can either be the civil defence lawyer (the case being heard in court is a civil matter or a matter of public welfare) or a criminal defence lawyer (when the case is regarding a criminal act). Criminal cases include murder, robbery, theft, sexual assault, etc. Civil cases include issues such as conflicts over money, damage to property, defaming, etc.

Note: The terms ‘lawyer’ and ‘advocate’ are used interchangeably in different parts of the world. For e.g. in India, the word ‘lawyer’ is used very commonly, even though the official term is ‘advocate’ (as stated in the Advocates Act of 1961). But in Pakistan, the word ‘advocate’ is used more commonly rather than ‘lawyer’.