Children and the Law

THE RIGHT TO BE HEARD AND PARTICIPATE: Smart Guy Needs a Lawyer

Author: Don Henderson
Illustrator: Kylie Leane

The comic book publication Smart Guy Needs A Lawyer is an initiative of the Children and Law Committee of The Law Society of South Australia. It is aimed at young people in their adolescent years who may need legal representation or have cause to appear in the criminal jurisdiction of the youth court.

The storyline provides young people with information on the role of lawyers in court proceedings; what to expect from the lawyer-client relationship, and how young people can play a positive and active role in legal decision-making processes.

The youth sector supported the development of this comic book, with some residents of the Cavan Training Centre along with a number of young people supported by SYC, guiding the Committee on the audience for the publication, the layout, illustrations and content of the comic book. The Law Society thanks them for their advice and creativity. The Law Society also acknowledges the funding support from the Law Foundation of SA and SA’s Office for Youth.

The Law Society hopes that by sharing the story with peers, family, and other support people in their life, young people will improve their understanding of the lawyer-client relationship and the positive role they can play in legal proceedings.

For a copy of the booklet please click here (Adobe Acrobat required).