{
  "url": "https://openlegislation.uk/standing-civilian-courts-order-1997/article-20",
  "json_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/standing-civilian-courts-order-1997/article-20.json",
  "legislation": "uksi/1997/172",
  "legislation_title": "The Standing Civilian Courts Order 1997",
  "legislation_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/standing-civilian-courts-order-1997",
  "path": "article/20",
  "kind": "article",
  "number": "20",
  "heading": "Conduct of the defence",
  "text": "(1) An accused who has been notified that he is to be tried by a Standing Civilian Court shall be afforded a proper opportunity for preparing his defence.\n(2) An appropriate person shall be appointed by the commanding officer to assist the accused to prepare and conduct his defence, unless the accused states in writing that he does not wish such an appointment to be made.",
  "extent": null,
  "status": null,
  "version": "current",
  "annotations": [],
  "outstanding_effects": [],
  "provenance": {
    "source": "legislation.gov.uk",
    "source_url": "https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/1997/172/article/20",
    "retrieved_at": "2026-10-29T12:27:04.339831+00:00"
  },
  "licence": "Open Government Licence v3.0",
  "licence_url": "https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3/",
  "attribution": "Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Source: legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives."
}