After someone has been arrested for an offence, the criminal justice system must determine whether that person should be kept in custody or released from custody while they wait for the case to finish. This part of the Canadian criminal justice system is called “judicial interim release” or “bail.” In some cases, the police officer […]
Earlier this week, University of Ottawa criminology professor Justin Piché published an article in the Ottawa Citizen arguing that the Government of Ontario should not build a new larger jail to replace the Ottawa-Carleton Detention Centre (OCDC). According to the OCDC Task Force report, the current jail is meant to have a capacity of 496 inmates […]
In the Canadian criminal justice system, “diversion” (for adults) or “extrajudicial measures” (for young persons) is a process where police or prosecutors agree to take a course of action that either avoids charges altogether or avoids having charges lead to a finding of guilt. Pre-charge diversion (for adults) or “alternative measures” (for young persons) happens when […]
Our client was involved in an early morning automobile accident with another vehicle. Police, the fire department, and paramedics all attended the scene. One police officer reported that our client was unsteady on her feet, that she smelled strongly of alcohol, that her eyes were glassy and unfocused, and that she was bleeding from the mouth. […]
The purpose of an investigation is to identify, gather, and preserve evidence of suspected offences, which may be used against a person in criminal proceedings. The investigation of an offence may be a matter of minutes or a matter of months. In simple impaired driving cases, the investigation may begin with a police officer’s observations […]
From the moment I met with Mr. Matthew B. Day, he demonstrated a true partnership interest in my case, he possesses some of the best acumen you would find in good lawyers among which are: Communication skill: He listened to what I have to say and gives me tells me his view, the flow of information between […]
After 6 months of total despair, Mr. Johnston gave me my life back! He provided me with not only amazing and professional legal advise and services but he demonstrated such personal client care and attention to my every need. He went above and beyond in every aspect of my case from start to finish and […]
If someone is charged with an offence and if they wish to retain a lawyer to represent them, then they are expected to make the necessary arrangements to pay for that lawyer. In Ontario, individuals can fund their legal counsel in one or more of the following ways: Individuals are normally expected to pay legal […]
Our client and the complainant dated for several years, were married for a short period, had a son together, and then divorced. During that relationship, our client pleaded guilty to two instances of assault against the complainant and received discharges instead of convictions – in other words, he did not receive a criminal record. For […]
In Canada, the word “defence” can be used to refer to several different ideas in the criminal justice system. A person who is accused of an offence is sometimes called “the defendant” and their legal team can be referred to as “the defence.” The word “defence” is also used to refer to the legal strategy – “the defence” – […]
