20 Questions for Jason Edwards
“Defence lawyers are an integral part of the system and, notwithstanding the comments section on social media, an effective justice system requires that people are provided with effective defences.” Jason Edwards
There are days Jason Edwards spends reviewing files full of crime-scene photos, forensic reports and witness statements.
There are also days he spends watching “Dora The Explorer.”
As a criminal defence lawyer on parental leave at home with his two youngest children — Sarah, age two and one-month-old Maria — there may be times when his main life roles intersect. At home, though, his biggest cases might involve crayon on the walls and no one could really blame him if he was sometimes a bit of a pushover.
Edwards graduated from the University of New Brunswick with a law degree in 1999 and worked in private practice before joining the Newfoundland and Labrador Legal Aid Commission in 2006. Today, he’s the area director for the commission’s Special Defence Unit, which oversees the defence for clients accused of the most serious crimes. His wife, Amanda Barfitt, is also a Legal Aid lawyer.
Their careers, unlike parenting small children, do not include assessing someone’s guilt or innocence, Edwards says.
“We are here to help people,” he explains of a defence lawyer’s role. “My job is to represent my clients to the best of my ability, regardless of the offence or their personal circumstances. Defence lawyers are an integral part of the system and, notwithstanding the comments section on social media, an effective justice system requires that people are provided with effective defences.
“I’m deeply honoured that my education and experience allow me to help people.”
If you’re not familiar with Edwards’ name from local court coverage, you may have seen his photography online — he’s an accomplished photographer with a special love for old-school film and has some extraordinary shots of urban landscapes, Labrador skies at night, macro-level flowers, photo journalism style captures of weddings, and many, many child portraits.
There’s also the food. Edwards isn’t as much a dedicated food photographer as he captures his culinary successes with a camera. If he hadn’t become a lawyer, he would have been a chef; check out his Instagram (@jason_a_edwards) for proof.
Edwards is haunted by the Scottish highlands, would love to have chatted with Leonard Cohen, and is a hobbyist rock-climber with a fear of heights — read on for more as he answers The Telegram’s 20 Questions.