BOOK SECOND
LAWS OF CRIMINAL PROCEDURE

PART II OF MATTERS RELATING TO CERTAIN MODES OF PROCEDURE AND TO CERTAIN TRIALS

Title III Of Counsel for the Accused

570. (1) The Advocate for Legal Aid shall gratuitously undertake the defence of any accused who has briefed no other advocate or who has been admitted to sue or defend with the benefit of legal aid in any court mentioned in this Code.

(2) The request for the assistance of the Advocate for Legal Aid or for the benefit of legal aid shall be made either by application or orally to the Advocate for Legal Aid.

(3) Article 911(4), (5) and (6) of the Code of Organization and Civil Procedure shall mutatis mutandis apply to the Advocate for Legal Aid.

(4) Where any court is informed by the accused that he has been unable to brief any advocate or that he wishes to avail himself of the benefit of legal aid that court shall cause the declaration made by the accused to be registered in the records of the case and shall order that such declaration, together with the details of the accused, be served on the Advocate for Legal Aid who within two working days shall file a reply indicating if the request of the accused has been accepted and if so the name of the Advocate for Legal Aid who will be representing the accused:
Provided that in the case of summary proceedings before the Court of Magistrates acting as a Court of Criminal Judicature the Court shall appoint the advocate whose turn it is from the panel of advocates mentioned in article 91 of the Code of Organization and Civil Procedure to assist the accused in those proceedings as well as in any appeal from any decision given in those proceedings provided that before filing any such appeal he shall consult the Advocate for Legal Aid who may, at any time, decide to take over the appeal.

(5) The Advocate for Legal Aid may only decline his aid on any ground which, in the opinion of the court, prima face justifies the refusal of his aid. In such event the Court shall order that the accused be represented by another advocate, who is not himself excusable, to be appointed by the Court on the recommendation of the Advocate for Legal Aid from the panel of advocates mentioned in article 91 of the Code of Organization and Civil Procedure provided that the court may in exceptional circumstances to be stated in its decree order any other advocate to take up the defence of the accused.

(6) The advocate appointed by the court in the exceptional circumstances referred to in subarticle (5) shall render his services gratuitously.

Article 55
Rights of persons during an investigation
2. Where there are grounds to believe that a person has committed a crime within the jurisdiction of the Court and that person is about to be questioned either by the Prosecutor, or by national authorities pursuant to a request made under Part 9, that person shall also have the following rights of which he or she shall be informed prior to being questioned:
(c) To have legal assistance of the person's choosing, or, if the person does not have legal assistance, to have legal assistance assigned to him or her, in any case where the interests of justice so require, and without payment by the person in any such case if the person does not have sufficient means to pay for it

Article 67
Rights of the accused
1. In the determination of any charge, the accused shall be entitled to a public hearing, having regard to the provisions of this Statute, to a fair hearing conducted impartially, and to the following minimum guarantees, in full equality:
(d) Subject to article 63, paragraph 2, to be present at the trial, to conduct the defence in person or through legal assistance of the accused's choosing, to be informed, if the accused does not have legal assistance, of this right and to have legal assistance assigned by the Court in any case where the interests of justice so require, and without payment if the accused lacks sufficient means to pay for it