The right of a witness to a lawyer

There is a widespread belief that only suspects, accused or defendants need thehelp of a lawyer. However, a situation often arises when persons who have the status of a witnessin a criminal trial have to resort to the help of a lawyer. This is often due to the threat of changingthe status of a participant in the process from “witness” to “suspect” or “accused”. The articleanalyzes the state of procedural and law enforcement practice in this area, reveals the conceptand possibility of using the right of a witness to legal assistance in the process of investigating acriminal case and trial. A description is given in which cases the assistance of a lawyer is neededand what services can be provided by him. The author’s position is substantiated due to the factthat the interrogated witness needs to resort to the help of a lawyer.