Everyone has the right to a fair trial in the UK no matter what the reason is for them being before the Courts. This is why the legal right to be able to self represent in court is such an important issue.
In the UK there may be the possibility for an individual to represent themselves. What this means is they do not have to use a lawyer to do this for them. At the same time they can not use this as an excuse to claim that the trial was unfair because they chose to do this.
It is also well known that many people cannot afford to hire a lawyer. Although there is free legal aid that can be relied on. In some cases people cannot qualify for this yet still cannot afford to hire legal services. They do have the option to represent themselves but they have the obligation to do according to the proper court procedures. They now have the responsibility to learn what these are and to work at building the best defense possible. There are plenty of resources available classed as self help to assist someone who wishes to defend themselves.