You are charged while the police investigate a possible criminal case against you. If, on the basis of the investigation, the Public Prosecutor's Office finds that there are grounds for you to be convicted of the fact for which you are charged, you will be charged, and the case goes before the Court of First Instance.

As a rule, you are entitled to an appointed defence counsel from the time you are charged by the police. The police have a duty to make you aware of your right.

A defence counsel has the right to participate during police questioning of you. If you are charged with a relationship committed against a child and video interrogation is required, your defence counsel has the right to attend the video interrogation and will have the opportunity to supplementary question to the child through the interrogator.

The defence counsel may also ask the police to take the investigative steps that the defence believes are relevant to the case, in order to ensure that any circumstances that may have an impact on the case are clarified. Police do not believe that the defence counsel's request to take further investigation is relevant, it will be the court that decides whether or not to carry them out.

In addition, the defence counsel is entitled, as a general starting point, to obtain all the material that the police collect during the investigation for the possible criminal proceedings against you.

If you are charged by the police, you will often be appointed a defence counsel automatically.

This means that you, as a starting point, have the right to decide for yourself who you want to be represented by.

The cost of an appointed defence attorney will be paid by the State if the charge is dropped or you are acquitted at the Court.

If you are convicted in the case, you will normally have to cover the costs of the case yourself, including the fee paid to the court-appointed defence counsel.