Contacting Victim Inappropriately Outside Court
Defence counsel should only be contacting a witness in their capacity as a witness. This means to gather information that helps the court find the truth.
A victim can speak with defence counsel if they want to, but they do not have to.
When contacting a victim, defence counsel should:
- be respectful and courteous
- be clear in their interest in the matter
- not call too much, or at odd hours
- respect the victim’s wishes not to discuss the matter with them
See section 5.4 of the Law Society of Saskatchewan Code of Professional Conduct for Lawyers or the Law Society of Saskatchewan Code of Professional Conduct for Limited Licensees for more information.
If you believe defence counsel contacted a victim inappropriately, submit a complaint.