Representing at AIT

Hi all,
I would like to know if a person is appealing against the ECO decision for the entry clearance at Asylum and immigration tribunal in London, Is it possible for her/his sponsor to represent herself/himself at AIT or does he/she have to arrange a representative to argue the case.

Any comments or suggestion welcomed.

The sponsor can act as the reprsentative in the Court if they wish.

Obviously you should know basic procedure and to represent and argue your case succesfully.

If not appoint a legal reprsentative and your chance of a succesful outcome will have increased

I know that I may sound harsh on some of the "legal eagles" of the AIT, but I wasn't at all impressed by the quality of representatives when I attended half a dozen of hearings as an observer back in August. Some are better prepped that others and all spout out a bunch of legalistic-sounding clichés, but on the whole, I am not convinced they are worth the fees. A reasonably prepared sensible sponsor can do much better by answering the quesitons truthfully and he or she can make a good impression on the judge. This doesn't work for everyone, particularly, when people are confused, struggling with English, or just not confident enough. However, it is a generalisation to say that "representation will have increased your chances". Maybe, or maybe not. Depends very much on the case and the individuals.
If you feel up for it, I would say, give it your best shot. Why put an extra layer between yourself, the applicant and the judge? It is like talking through an interpreter (who is only half-listening because he needs to be somewhere in 20 min and his phone is rining, and his Raspberry is beeping) and the judge, who is there to understand the circumstances of your case and who will assist you through the procedure? Frankly, I can't see the point.

Thank you very much for your inputs.