Prominent defence lawyer Greg King today stood before victims of brutal crimes to tell them how he sleeps at night.
Mr King has defended some of the country's most notorious convicted killers, including John Barlow and Clayton Weatherston.
Speaking at the Sensible Sentencing Trust's conference at Parliament today, Mr King said his aim was to "explain to you how I sleep at night doing what I do".
Among those at the conference were Gil and Lesley Elliott, the parents of Sophie Elliott, the Dunedin 22-year-old stabbed to death by Weatherston in 2008.
Weatherston was last year sentenced to life in prison, with a minimum non-parole period of 18 years.
Mr King said he had been the defence lawyer in nearly 50 murder trials or appeals, "but I never really wanted it to do be like that".
"My dream was to defend innocent people, to get innocent people off charges that they hadn't committed.
"The tragic reality, I suppose, is that there are just not enough innocent people to go around. And the reality is I've acted for many people who have been guilty."
There were a lot of misconceptions about criminal defence lawyers, Mr King said.
Their duty was to act in the best interests of their clients and protect them as far as possible from being convicted, regardless of any personal beliefs or opinions the lawyer may have about their client's guilt or innocence.
"Lawyers become the face of the crime, they become the face of the criminal. But please don't think for one moment that we are immune to the reality, to the pain, to the suffering."
The justice system could better accommodate victims' rights, Mr King said.
"At all stages of that process, victims and victims families need to be treated with respect."
He questioned why victim impact statements were edited by judges, and why there was not more interaction between prosecutors and victims.
Mr King said it had been "humbling" to hear from people whose lives had been affected by serious crimes.
"The reality is that I probably won't sleep very well at all tonight."
Among the victims to address the conference was Mr Elliott, who called for sweeping changes to the justice system.
He said the burden of proof in straightforward cases, in which offenders were caught committing a crime, should lie with the defence rather than the prosecution.
Mr Elliott had questioned why murderers could appeal their convictions without cost, while victims and their families had to appeal at great cost.
He also called for a compulsory levy, similar to ACC levies, to provide compensation for victims and their families.
Speaking on the brink of tears, Debbie Marlow told the conference her family had received justice through the British court system after her Hawke's Bay-born sister Cathy was killed in London three years ago.
"My sister's murderer got what he deserved - 26 years non-parole in prison. And what we got was justice without the fanfare, the blood sweat and the tears that New Zealand families of victims have to endure," she said.
"The Government needs to change this and impose longer non-parole sentences to assist these families, enabling them to get on with their lives the best we can and grieve for the loved ones lost, rather than fighting the system."
More than 100 victims' families attended the conference.
