Meanings
- historicalgovernmentAn officer acting as counsel for the defendant in a court-martial.
I was 'counsel for the defence', or 'prisoner's friend'. My chap had deserted for nearly two years and spent six months in a civvy jug. With papers under my arm and serious countenance I visited him in his cell day after day, […]
1998, John Gunn, Dear Descendants: Recollections for a Gunn Family History 1945-1957, page 191 more example
Prior to trial a soldier would be offered the assistance of an officer to act as 'prisoner's friend'. In essence the officer acted as defending counsel, although little is heard of legally qualified officers appearing. Foolishly some men declined this assistance, although more often than not the officer was unskilled in advocacy.
1990, Julian Putkowski, Julian Sykes, Shot at Dawn
Cite this entry
prisoner's friend. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/prisoner's%20friend
“prisoner's friend.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/prisoner's%20friend. Accessed November 5, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “prisoner's friend,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/prisoner's%20friend.
Source: prisoner's friend on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.