There is something that most people do not know. A lawyer is bound to take up any brief that is entrusted to him, regardless of his personal feelings about the truth of his case. It is Law, part of the ethics of the Profession, akin to the dictum that a doctor cannot refuse to treat a patient who comes to him in distress. He is not entitled to refuse any brief except on certain specified reasons, including lack of knowledge of that field of law, ill-health, conflict of interest, etc. So when a person accused of a crime seeks to engage a lawyer, he is duty-bound to defend him, even if he feels his client is guilty as hell. His job is to find out the facts of the case which entitle his client to the least punishment prescribed under law. It is his job – to ensure that his client gets a fair hearing.
Imagine a situation where a person has no right to defend himself. The Police arrest him, the Judge finds him guilty and sentences him without even giving him a chance to say anything in his defense. Even if he is allowed to present his case, his lack of knowledge about the law handicaps him in presenting his case in the best light. That is where a lawyer’s services are necessary. If not, we could as well go back to the Law of the Jungle. Eye for an Eye and all that.
