December 12, 2011
Media release
For immediate release

Queenslanders who have been charged with an offence and need to appear before the magistrates court can access a free booklet to help guide them through the legal process.

Legal Aid Queensland has produced the ‘Have you been charged with an offence?: A guide to appearing in the magistrates court’ guide which helps explain the legal process including what to expect when you go to court, how to prepare for your court appearance or hearing, how to plead guilty or not guilty and potential penalties.

“Appearing in court can be stressful; this stress is compounded when people don’t understand the legal process, or don’t know what to expect when they appear before the magistrate,” Legal Aid Queensland CEO Mr Anthony Reilly said.

“To address these issues, Legal Aid Queensland produced the ‘Have you been charged with an offence?’ guide. This guide seeks to increase people’s understanding of the legal process by providing clear, step by step instructions about what happens once you have been charged with a criminal offence and have to go to court.

“This free guide is available to all Queenslanders and will help people understand their options if they have been charged with an offence and have to go to court.”

Queenslanders can pick up a free copy of this updated guide from one of Legal Aid Queensland’s 14 offices across Queensland. The guide can also be downloaded from the Legal Aid Queensland website: www.legal.aid.qld.gov.au

As the leading provider of legal services to financially disadvantaged Queenslanders, Legal Aid Queensland has produced this guide as part of its commitment to Community Legal Education.

Our Community Legal Education program seeks to educate Queenslanders about their legal rights and responsibilities on a range of legal issues such as consumer protection, debt, criminal law, family law, child protection, domestic violence and youth justice.

Media contact:
Marnie Stitz Ph: (07) 3238 3004 or Katherine Gorter on (07) 3238 3392