''This piece by the founding author of this Wikibook, [[JP Boyd |John-Paul Boyd]], first appeared on the Canadian legal news website [http://www.slaw.ca SLAW] in August 2015. It has been reproduced here at the request of the BC Provincial Court to help guide and inform self-represented litigants.''
==John-Paul Boyd, August 2015==
You are a "self-represented litigant" if you are involved in a court proceeding and are not represented by a lawyer. There is no rule that requires you to have a lawyer to represent you in court. Although court can be complicated and confusing at times, you have the right to represent yourself.