The Boston Globe

Opinion

Boston.com

Margaret H. Marshall

Provide legal support to those most vulnerable

By Margaret H. Marshall

 |   

  October 29, 2011

Access to justice is best secured by - and perhaps requires - a lawyer. In Massachusetts, we provide lawyers free of charge to those accused of a crime if they cannot afford one, through the state-funded public defender system. As a retired Chief Justice of the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court, I know that this system - while not perfect - protects the basic rights of those accused of a crime by ensuring that they have access to a competent lawyer.

Thank you for reading BostonGlobe.com. You have reached the monthly limit for free articles — to continue reading, get unlimited access to BostonGlobe.com now for just 99¢ for 8 weeks.

Unlimited access to BostonGlobe.com includes:

  • The FULL story all day: Enjoy all of the high-quality, in-depth journalism in the print edition of the Boston Globe — plus breaking news that's updated 24/7.
  • A truly reader-friendly format: It's online news that looks and reads just like the newspaper — uncluttered, uninterrupted.
  • Breakthrough technology: The responsive design automatically adapts content so it always reads perfectly on the digital device of your choice.
GET STARTED TODAY

Free access for home delivery subscribers.

Just need to link your home delivery account; one easy step.

Link my home delivery account

BostonGlobe.comSubscriber Log In

Contact us for help