Why did people accused by the medieval Inquisition usually lack lawyers?

During the medieval Inquisition, individuals accused of heresy typically lacked legal representation because lawyers feared that defending a suspect would lead to them being accused of abetting heresy themselves.1

The proceedings were structured as a battle of wits between the inquisitor and the accused, rather than a standard adversarial trial. Because the inquisitor acted as the primary investigator—searching for facts, questioning witnesses, and examining evidence—the process relied on an inquisitorial system rather than one where parties presented their own cases through counsel. Furthermore, suspects were often not informed of the specific charges against them or the identities of their accusers, which significantly hindered their ability to mount a formal defense.12