Tuesday 13 September 2011

Advice on Preparing a Character Reference for Court: Strong Statements and Personal Stories


When writing a character reference for court avoid falling into the trap of making broad, unsubstantiated claims about the personality of your friend, colleague or family member.
Instead, ground your positive reference in fact and leave a last impact on the mind of the reader by demonstrating your point with a personal story.


Two simple examples of how to use this technique in your character reference for court:


"Joe Blow is a active member of our local community and a role model to many young people. On any given weekend you can be expected to find Joe volunteering at the Rugby club - running a fundraiser barbecue or helping in whatever way he can. Back in 2005 a young player from the Southern Districts Club suffered a spinal injury on the field. Joe was nearby when the injury occurred and was quick to respond. As a current first-aider Joe took control of the situation and correctly assessed the boys pain to be a serious spinal injury - averting the risk of further damage. This is one simple example of Joe's positive contribution to our community."

"I have always known Felicity to be an upstanding individual of the most resilient character. When Felicity was just 14 years of age her mother was diagnosed with an aggressive form of breast cancer and tragically passed away soon after. When Felicity's Father returned to work in the coming weeks, Felicity took responsibility for the care of her two younger brothers. The challenge of preserving with everyday life without the support of her Mother was made all the more difficult by Felicity's own learning disability at a young age. I am consistently in awe of her courageous response to adversity."


Key points to note:

  •  In each example, the authors have made a statement about the person's character.
    "Joe Blow is a active member of our local community and a role model to many young people."
    "Felicity has always been generous with her time for those in need."
  • These statements have then each been followed up with specific examples and personal stories illustrating the person's good character.
     
  • This technique leaves a firm impression in the reader's mind about the quality of the person's character.



Image: Stuart Miles / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

3 comments:

  1. Thank you. This is very useful information.

    Are you able to post some more examples?
    I have been asked to write several character references in the past but I have never been certain about how to go about the job.

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    Replies
    1. You can find more samples here of character references for court: http://www.criminal-lawyers.com.au/courts/character-reference.

      The site has samples coming from different types of referee (ie. friend, family member, employer, others) and for a variety of offences. Hope I helped.

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    2. By the way, that site is specific to Victorian criminal law. You may need to check if other states or countries follow the same rules for a character reference for court. But I'm pretty sure the elements are the same.

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