Module 4, Lesson 25
Final tips and court etiquette
The one-page version of Module 4, to keep in your folder on the day.
25.1The checklist
On the day
| Before | Inside | At the bar table |
|---|---|---|
| Inside the building by 9:00 | Register with the court officer first | "Good morning, Your Honour. My name is ... I am representing myself." |
| Folder packed against Lesson 18 | Phone off, not silent | Plea, then any disputed fact, then any program request |
| Outfit from Lesson 16 | Bow at the bar, stand for the Judge | Tender to the court officer, copies to the prosecutor |
| Support people briefed from Lesson 17 | Watch the matters before yours | Four headings, the ask, "Those are my submissions" |
| Submissions read aloud once | Do not leave the precinct | Answer questions in one or two sentences |
| Whole day blocked | If lost, ask, or have it stood down | "Thank you, Your Honour." Leave. Collect the order. |
25.2A last word before the door
Perspective
The Judge has sentenced hundreds of people for this offence. What separates the ones they remember is not eloquence. It is that the person had done the work before they walked in, said what happened without decoration, and showed by what they had done since that the process had already done its job. You have the folder that proves that. Walk in and let it speak.