A McKenzie friend is a support person who sits alongside a self-represented litigant in court. Their role is to provide practical and emotional support during the court process by helping to keep the self-represented litigant organized, calm and focused. Anyone can act as a McKenzie friend, but generally it is a trusted family member or friend, and ultimately their presence in the courtroom is allowed only at a judge’s discretion.
A McKenzie friend can be requested to be present in a virtual court hearing as well as an in-person hearing.
The term McKenzie friend comes from a 1970 UK case, McKenzie v McKenzie. In that case, the trial judge’s decision to disallow Mr. McKenzie to have a friend with him was overturned by the Court of Appeal. The appeal court relied on an 1831 case, Collier v. Hicks which stated: “Any person, whether he be a professional man or not, may attend as a friend of either party, may take notes, may quietly make suggestions, and give advice...”
What can a McKenzie friend do?
If a judge does give permission, a McKenzie Friend can sit at the front of the courtroom and:
- take notes;
- organize documents;
- make quiet suggestions to the litigant;
- provide emotional support;
- pay attention to the courtroom discussion;
- do any other task approved of by the judge.
McKenzie Friends may do all or just some of the above, but above all it is important to decide on their roles and your expectations beforehand.
How to ask permission for a McKenzie friend
The National Self-Represented Litigants Project’s publication The McKenzie Friend: Choosing and Presenting a Courtroom Companion provides a practical guide to choosing the right person and asking permission from a judge. This resource includes a template script for a self-represented litigant’s request to have a McKenzie friend in the courtroom, an explanation of what judges must consider in allowing one, and a list of reasons why a judge may decide to refuse.
The most important thing to keep in mind is that a McKenzie friend is there as a support person, not to take the place of a lawyer. They are not able to give legal advice or speak directly to the court except in very rare cases where a judge deems it appropriate. Even in cases where language comprehension is an issue, each circumstance is judged on a case-by-case basis. There are no predictable outcomes or set of criteria that determine whether they will be permitted or to what degree they may assist, and a self-represented litigant should be prepared to go it alone in case the judge denies the request.
BC Provincial Court
Notice 11 “Use of Support Person in Small Claims and Family Proceedings” is a guideline for the use of a McKenzie friend in provincial civil and family court proceedings. The Notice details who can be a support person, when they can attend and what they can do.
Content reviewed December 4, 2025
- McKenzie v. McKenzie, [1970] 3 WLR 472.- On-site at Courthouse Libraries
- Collier v. Hicks, (1831) 2 B & Ad 663 -On-site at Courthouse Libraries
- The McKenzie Friend: Choosing and Presenting a Courtroom Companion - National Self Represented Litigants Project
- Notice 11 – Use of a Support Person in Small Claims and Family Proceedings – Provincial Court of BC
- Bringing a Support Person to Family Court - Provincial Court of BC
- Bringing a Support Person to Small Claims Court – Provincial Court of BC