You have the right to defend yourself at all stages of the administrative offences procedure.
This means that you can defend yourself before the court, either in person or through another person. This other person, your defender, must be an attorney at law, who can be substituted by an attorney candidate.
It makes no difference whether you defend yourself, or by a qualified lawyer. In all cases you will have the same rights, as well as the obligation to comply with all time limits and to submit all the documents required by the court.
In accordance with Slovenian Legal Aid Act, you can ask for a state paid lawyer to represent you in the court proceedings. Read more about legal aid.
Appropriate time and facilities
You, or your defender, must be given the appropriate time and facilities to prepare your defence. This means, for example, that:
- all charges must be communicated to you in a timely fashion
- you must be given access to the evidence in your case
- you must have an opportunity to challenge the evidence and give your opinion and arguments
If a decision imposing a penalty is not made at the time of the offence, the state institution must inform you about the circumstances of the offence and your charge. It must do so before issuing a decision in your case. At the same time, the state institution must inform you, that you have the right to make a statement about the facts or circumstances and submit evidence.
You, or your defender, must also be given access to the case file and the opportunity to be present at the hearing of your case in court.