The Social Worker and the Court

Abstract

In addition to a specialised knowledge of the substantive law governing his professional duties, the social worker must be aware of court procedure and in general the rules of evidence governing proceedings in the magistrates’ court and juvenile court especially. A common ground for criticism of social workers is in this area — their relations with the court. The social worker must be seen by both client and court as a professional who is conversant with this aspect of his job.