Criminal Law
Insights & Guides

Mandatory fines, the one-year driving prohibition, the 90-day roadside suspension, ignition interlock, and the defences that matter on a first impaired driving charge.

Why the complainant cannot drop the charge, how the Crown decides, what recanting really does, and the realistic paths to a withdrawal — peace bonds, diversion, and the PAR program.

How theft under $5,000 is prosecuted, whether you will get a criminal record, diversion and discharge options, and what those civil demand letters really mean.

Bench warrants, the separate failure-to-appear charge, the effect on future bail, and the steps to fix a missed criminal court date fast.

Crown screening, self-defence, diversion, and peace bonds — the realistic routes to a withdrawn assault charge, and why the complainant cannot simply drop it.

A step-by-step guide to arrest, your Charter rights, release options, bail hearings, and your first court appearance.

Withdrawal, peace bonds, discharges, and diversion explained — the outcomes that avoid a permanent criminal record.

Summary vs. indictable timelines, the R. v. Jordan framework, and what determines how long your case will take.

How peace bonds work, section 810 recognizances, common conditions, and what happens if you breach one.

Eligibility, 5/10-year waiting periods, the application process, and what a record suspension does and does not do.

Judicial interim release explained — the ladder principle, forms of release, sureties, and reverse onus.

The three official types of Ontario police record checks, and what actually appears on each — convictions, discharges, and non-conviction information.

Who is eligible after the 2019 Bill C-75 reforms, what happens at one, and how it differs from a trial.

Crimes of moral turpitude, why Canadian pardons aren't recognized by the US, and how the US entry waiver process works.

The Crown's case, the defence's case, verdict, and sentencing — a plain-language walkthrough of an Ontario criminal trial.

The difference between the two, who is eligible, and how each affects your criminal record.

Access periods, sealing, and destruction of youth records under the Youth Criminal Justice Act.

Mandatory bans under section 486.4, discretionary bans under 486.5, and the Bill S-12 opt-out and variation rights.

Charter section 8 protections, the limits of search incident to arrest, exigent circumstances, and the test for valid consent.

Maximum penalties, limitation periods, hybrid offences, and how the Crown's election shapes your case.

Criminal Code sections 21 and 22 — aiding, abetting, and counselling — and why the law treats these as equally culpable.

False imprisonment vs. malicious prosecution, the four-part Miazga test, and why these claims are deliberately hard to win.

Charge and fact bargaining, joint sentencing submissions, and R v Anthony-Cook's public interest test for departing from a deal.

R v Fearon's narrow rules for warrantless cell phone searches incident to arrest — the four conditions police must meet.

What the Human Rights Code actually protects — and doesn't — when it comes to a pending criminal charge.

Section 722 of the Criminal Code, the right to read a statement aloud, and how it factors into sentencing.

Alternative measures under section 717, the youth framework under the YCJA, and what stays on your record.

What makes a character reference letter genuinely effective at sentencing, versus counterproductive.

Sections 7, 8, 9, and 10 of the Charter — what police can and can't do, and the remedy when your rights are breached.

How aggravating and mitigating factors shape a sentence under Criminal Code s.718, with real examples and the principles that tie them together.

How courts decide, the totality principle, mandatory consecutive sentences, and the impact on parole eligibility.

The s.16 test, who bears the burden, NCR vs. unfitness to stand trial, and what happens after an NCR finding at the Ontario Review Board.

The three-part test under Criminal Code s.34, reasonableness factors, and why the Crown must disprove self-defence beyond a reasonable doubt.

What the Crown must disclose, what happens when disclosure is late or incomplete, and why full disclosure matters before any plea.

What duty counsel actually covers, Legal Aid certificates explained, and when hiring a private lawyer matters most.

What restitution orders cover, how they differ from fines and the victim surcharge, and how they are enforced.

How rare these designations are, the high evidentiary bar, and what each means for sentencing and parole.

Who qualifies, who decides, and how supervision actually works for conditional sentences, parole, statutory release, and probation.