What is a McKenzie Friend? 

What a McKenzie Friend can do

• Give you moral support in court
• Take notes during the hearing
• Help with your case papers and keep documents in order
• Quietly give you advice on the points to raise, procedure, and questions you may wish to ask witnesses

What a McKenzie Friend cannot do

You remain the party to the case, and every decision is yours.

• Act as your agent or take steps in the case for you, such as signing court documents
• Address the court, make oral submissions or question witnesses, unless the court grants them a right of audience, which is exceptional
• Conduct litigation on your behalf

How to have a McKenzie Friend with you

Tell the court as early as possible that you would like a McKenzie Friend, and who they are. It helps to provide a short note of their background and confirm they understand their role and the confidentiality of the case. The court will normally allow it, but it can refuse or later withdraw permission if the McKenzie Friend is interfering with the proceedings.

When one helps most

Hearings move quickly and it is hard to listen, take notes and find the right page at the same time. A McKenzie Friend who already knows your papers lets you concentrate on what the judge is asking. Preparation before the hearing (a clear chronology, a well-ordered bundle, a short list of the points you need to make) matters as much as the support on the day.