Representing Yourself in the Supreme Court

Supreme Court
Supreme Court

If you do not have a lawyer and choose to represent yourself, you will need to do your own legal research and prepare your own case.

It's also important to learn about the court system, the documents to file, specific law in your case and the possible arguments for your case.

Available Resources

Community Legal Information Association of PEI (CLIA) provides information about the justice system and the law. They have also prepared a family law handbook, How to Go to Court Without a Lawyer.

CanLII is a free internet search engine about Canadian law.

Law Library at the Sir Louis Henry Davies Law Courts Building is open to the public. Books cannot be removed from the library.

The Canadian Judicial Council has published three handbooks to help self-represented litigants in family, civil, or criminal matters, to prepare for court proceedings.  These handbooks may be found at the following link: Representing yourself in court (cjc-ccm.ca)

What are the rules of court?

If you plan to represent yourself in a civil or family matter, be familiar with the Rules of Civil Procedure and Small Claims Rules of Court (Rule 74 - PDF).

What do I do if I am in custody and intend to file a criminal appeal?

If you are in custody when the notice of appeal is filed, your appeal will be considered a 'prisoner appeal.' Complete Form 81 (PDF) and refer to Rule 81 (PDF)  for instructions on how to file and serve the notice of appeal.

In a prisoner appeal, the Crown is responsible for obtaining the transcript of proceedings at your trial and the Crown is also responsible for preparing the appeal book.

If your appeal is a criminal appeal, you are in custody and you wish to apply for release from custody pending appeal, refer to Rule 82.19 which sets out the requirements for making this application.

Do I need a lawyer?

Depending on your situation, you may wish to look into the following legal representation services:

Resources
Court Fees (PDF)