[2][3] The equivalent in Scotland is a party litigant and in the United States is pro se legal representation.
The defendants in the McLibel case (McDonald's Corporation v Steel & Morris, [1997] EWHC QB 366) represented themselves in person both at first instance and on appeal during a libel lawsuit which lasted nearly ten years.
In the UK this conflict is resolved by the court appointing a special counsel at public expense to conduct cross-examination.
High-profile cases in Scotland where the accused conducted his own defence and lost were Peter Manuel (who was hanged) and Tommy Sheridan.
In Battle v Irish Art Promotion Centre Ltd,[4] the Supreme Court of Ireland ruled that a company cannot be represented by a corporate officer in lieu of a barrister or solicitor.