Convicted repeat sex offender Sofyan Boalag has been granted an application for a court-appointed lawyer to represent him on his appeal hearing.

Sofyan Boalag appealed his conviction in for a series of violent sexual offences that happened in 2013 involving three women. He alleges police had no warrant to obtain his DNA.

Boalag was declared a dangerous offender, and was incarcerated indefinitely pending review by the Parole Board.

When he arrived in the NL Court of Appeal for his hearing in 2018, Boalag did not have a lawyer. He was told he could not represent himself and the hearing was postponed.

Boalag then applied to the Court of Appeal for assigned counsel.

In its written decision, the Court says Boalag has no money for a lawyer, but was refused representation by Legal Aid. The Court ruled it would not be in a position to effectively hear the appeal without the assistance of counsel, given Boalag’s limited knowledge of English.

The application was granted.