What You Must Know about Joint Defence Agreements
Posted on: 7 November 2016
Criminal proceedings can be quite complex, especially if your case involves multiple defendants. If you have been accused of a criminal offence with another person, your proceedings might be held and assessed separately. However, this does not eliminate the fact that you share a common objective of defeating the claims made by the plaintiff. This is where a joint defence agreement comes in handy. If you aren't looking to shift the blame and accusation to the other party involved in the case, the court can allow you to have a joint defence. Joint defence agreements let you share information as defendants and improve your chances beating the plaintiff's claims. Here is a look at what you must know about joint defence agreements:
Consultation is Key
If you have been co-accused with another person, you can make the joint defence agreement expressly without deliberating. How sure are you that you aren't making a grave mistake though? You need to deliberate with your lawyer and, if possible, the lawyer representing the other party involved in the lawsuit. Through consultation, you will come up with a suitable scope of operation for the agreement that will clearly outline the type of information you will be sharing in the course of the proceedings.
Joint Defence Doesn't Waiver Client-Lawyer Privileges
In criminal proceedings, one of the important things when you are working with an attorney is the client-lawyer privilege. Here, you can share information with your lawyer freely without fear of judgement or victimisation provided it is in the best interest of the proceedings in question. Entering a joint defence agreement does not mean that you are waiving the confidentiality privileges that you have with your lawyer. The other lawyer involved is equally bound by the same stipulations, and he or she should not disclose any information shared in confidentiality with him or her.
Joint Defence Prevents Duplicative Work
A joint defence agreement is a good way of cutting the costs involved in litigations. After deliberating over the charges in question, the lawyers can decide on the common ground of the case (what makes you co-defendants) and apply a unified defence strategy for the case. You can then work with one of the lawyers for the whole case or at least part of it, lowering the overall litigation costs in the end. It can also shorten the period taken to reach a verdict, as the hearings can be held jointly rather than on separate occasions.
For more information, contact a criminal defense lawyer.
Share