“The greatest threat to justice is prejudice“

(Max Hirschberg, criminal defence lawyer 1883-1964, Convicting the Innocent)

In our legal service, criminal defence counselling, the first and foremost objective is to protect the dignity of individuals suspected of crime, to fight against prejudice and assert the presumption of innocence. This includes the commitment to reject facile compromise, to embarrass, when necessary, to argue out conflicts with the legal authorities and parties involved, and thus to clear the way for fair judgement.

Arguing the client's case is not an end in itself. As criminal defence lawyers we are called upon to take sides with the accused, to protect his or her freedom and civil rights, but, at the same time, to bear in mind the objective nature of individual cause and interest. Working out a joint procedural strategy in a trusting dialogue with the client will sometimes necessitate contradiction and persuasive effort. Such understanding of the client's interest is paramount in our work.

Since prejudices tend over time to become more and more engrained it is absolutely essential to react early and fast when defenders become involved in judicial inquiries. In this way, time-consuming investigations, that are incriminating for the defendant can sometimes be averted at an early point in time. Meetings arranged - even in custody -with the client at short notice, speedy and at times even informal contact with the legal authorities and the public prosecutor therefore lie at the heart of our work.

Our strong point is our focus on criminal defence counselling.