pro Deo, adverbial phrase and & adjectival phrase

/ˌprəʊ ˈdeɪəʊ/
Origin:
LatinShow more Latin, ‘for God’.
Law
A. adverbial phrase With reference to the legal representation of one accused of a capital offence and unable to afford counsel: with no charge, legal costs being paid by the State at the instruction of the court; loosely, (defending one) without the usual fee. Also transferred sense, referring to other services rendered without charge.
1919 M.M. Steyn Diary 280We had a proper jury, usher, policeman, counsel for the prisoner, who, of course, was defended pro deo, and public prosecutor.
1948 A. Paton Cry, Beloved Country 123Did you not hear him say he would take the case pro deo?..It is Latin, and it means for God. So it will cost you nothing, or at least very little.
1957 B. O’Keefe Gold without Glitter 86The young counsel who defended him pro deo put up a determined defence.
1974 A.P. Brink Looking on Darkness 11‘Did they hire you?’ I asked. ‘I’ve been appointed Pro Deo...’ ‘I didn’t ask for counsel.’ ‘But the law demands it...It’s a matter of procedure. I’m taking your case Pro Deo.’
1980 Informant, Grahamstown (now Makhanda, Eastern Cape)We (sc. medical practitioners) always treat the clergy pro deo.
1983 F.G. Butler Bursting World 111Was it a difficult or an expensive operation? No, if I wanted to get myself into shape for the army he’d do it pro Deo or, correcting himself, pro patria.
1983 Cape Times 29 Dec. 1The couple have been defended by counsel appointed pro Deo, all of whom were in court yesterday.
1987 M. Poland Train to Doringbult 219‘Who’s paying for this, by the way?’ said Elizabeth...‘No one. Pro Deo.’ ‘Who’d work Pro Deo in this day and age?’ said Captain Olivier.
B. adjectival phrase Of or pertaining to legal representation where the fee is paid by the State at the instruction of the court.
1962 A. Fugard Notebks (1983) 50Found him, feet up on his desk, reading a novel. He’s been in practice for about four months and his only real cases have been pro-deo.
1974 A.P. Brink Looking on Darkness 11Some Pro Deo advocates regard their cases as a matter of routine and assume that they’ve lost before they’ve even started.
1979 E. Prov. Herald 6 Apr. 2While junior counsel might be able to handle pro Deo murder cases, they would experience difficulties with complicated terrorism cases...Senior members of the Bar had on occasions taken on pro Deo work.
1989 E. Prov. Herald 8 June 3A murder trial was postponed for the third time this week yesterday when it was found that there was no pro Deo counsel available in Port Elizabeth or Grahamstown.
1992 Natal Mercury 25 Nov. 3Mr A— V—, pro deo counsel for Mrs C—, asked that..the Court should impose a sentence as ‘light as possible’.
With reference to the legal representation of one accused of a capital offence and unable to afford counsel: with no charge, legal costs being paid by the State at the instruction of the court; loosely, (defending one) without the usual fee. Also transferred sense, referring to other services rendered without charge.
Of or pertaining to legal representation where the fee is paid by the State at the instruction of the court.
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19191992

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Latin
proclaim, verb transitivev.Prog, nounn.
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