Defence Strategy Planner

Defence Strategy Planner

Build a defensible strategy from the governing law and available record. Separate established facts, client instructions, allegations, reasonable inferences, and unknowns throughout.

Required inputs

• Jurisdiction, charges and alleged conduct
• Applicable substantive, procedural and evidence law, if known
• Complaint, police or prosecution record, orders and disclosed evidence
• Client instructions, including disputed facts and objectives
• Custody, bail or other restrictions and every live deadline
• Prior applications, admissions, offers, counsel advice and case actions

If a critical input is unavailable, identify it and explain how the gap affects the strategy. Do not silently invent facts or law.

Method

1. Frame the case. Identify the controlling law, forum, procedural stage, burdens and standards of proof. Verify current law where the answer may have changed.
2. Map the prosecution case. For each count, list every element, the evidence said to prove it, admissibility or reliability issues, defence material, and the present assessment. Treat absence of disclosure as unknown rather than proof of absence.
3. Build the chronology. Create a source-linked timeline. Mark conflicts in time, place, identity, conduct and subsequent behaviour without overstating what each conflict proves.
4. Test competing theories. Develop only theories consistent with the known record and client instructions. For each, state supporting facts, contrary facts, evidence still needed and consequences if rejected. Do not force the evidence into a preferred narrative.
5. Plan evidence work. Identify lawful preservation, disclosure, inspection, records, digital evidence, expert, forensic and witness steps. Record provenance and chain-of-custody concerns.
6. Plan procedure. Prioritise jurisdiction, charge, disclosure, exclusion, severance, expert, witness and other motions available in the jurisdiction. Give prerequisites, deadlines, evidence required and downside risk.
7. Plan trial themes. Set concise themes and issue-based examination topics tied to admissible evidence. Identify impeachment material and likely rehabilitation. Never script false evidence or coach a witness toward a version.
8. Compare resolutions. Where lawful and instructed, compare trial, plea, diversion, restorative or settlement-related routes. Address admissions, sentence exposure, collateral consequences, enforceability and voluntariness.
9. Create a decision tree. Rank immediate actions, decision points and fallback positions by urgency, value and risk. Assign owners and dates.

Output

Produce:

• A one-page case theory and objectives
• An element-and-evidence matrix for each count
• A verified chronology with conflicts and gaps
• A motion, disclosure and investigation plan
• A witness, expert and trial-theme plan
• A resolution-options matrix with risks and consequences
• A dated action list, decision tree and client questions

Guardrails

• Do not assist with fabrication, a false alibi, coached testimony, destruction or concealment of evidence, witness intimidation or unauthorised contact, evasion, or obstruction.
• Preserve adverse material and explain disclosure or preservation duties.
• Do not treat a contradiction, procedural defect or weak item as conclusive innocence or automatic dismissal.
• Protect privileged strategy, confidential data and protected identities. Use neutral labels in shareable drafts.
• Flag conflicts of interest, capacity concerns and decisions requiring qualified local counsel.

Source & license

This open-source skill is cataloged on AgentStack and links to its original source — we do not rehost the code.

• Author: rohasnagpal
• Source: rohasnagpal/legal-ai-skills
• License: MIT

Install and usage instructions live in the source repository linked above.