“Part of being a lawyer is constantly being asked ‘how do you feel about defending people you know are guilty’.”

“Part of being a lawyer is constantly being asked ‘how do you feel about defending people you know are guilty’. In fact, it’s a great privilege to act on someone’s behalf when they have the might of the State bearing down on them. On one side is the police, the prosecution and sometimes the pre-judgment of the ill-informed. On the other side it’s just you and your client. I don’t get to decide to act for people who I think are worthy. Everyone is entitled to a defence. It’s not for me to decide if they are guilty. It’s for a jury. If their guilt is obvious then they will be convicted. Most people plead guilty anyway. Those who pour scorn on defence lawyers would find their sanctimoniousness vanish if they were ever wrongly accused of something.”