Legal Articles & Resources
What Happens at a Bail Hearing in Ontario
A bail hearing is often the most urgent step in the entire criminal process. Learn what to expect, the types of release, the role of a surety, and why having a lawyer matters.
Read ArticleKnow Your Rights When Stopped by Police in Canada
Your Charter rights apply the moment you are detained. Understand when you must identify yourself, your right to silence, your right to counsel, and what to do if those rights are violated.
Read ArticleThe Youth Criminal Justice Act Explained
The YCJA creates a separate legal framework for young people aged 12–17 — one that prioritizes rehabilitation over punishment. Learn how youth records work, the sentencing options, and how the right lawyer can protect your child's future.
Read ArticleImpaired Driving Charges in Ontario: What You Need to Know
Impaired driving is one of the most commonly charged criminal offences in Canada. Understand the charges, your obligations during a roadside stop, the penalty table, and the technical and constitutional defences available.
Read ArticleAssault & Domestic Violence Charges in Ontario
Assault charges range from simple assault to aggravated assault — and domestic cases carry unique complications. Learn the offence levels, mandatory no-contact conditions, why the Crown can proceed without the complainant, and the defences that matter.
Read ArticleDrug Charges in Ontario: Possession, Trafficking & Production
Drug charges under the CDSA range from simple possession to life imprisonment for trafficking Schedule I substances. Learn how substances are classified, what each offence requires the Crown to prove, and why Charter challenges are so powerful in drug cases.
Read ArticleWhat Happens at a Criminal Trial in Ontario
From first appearance to verdict, the criminal trial process can take months or years. This step-by-step guide covers disclosure, election of trial type, pre-trial applications, the seven stages of trial, sentencing, and appeals.
Read ArticleFirearms & Weapons Charges in Ontario
Weapons charges carry some of the most severe mandatory minimum sentences in the Criminal Code. Learn how firearms are classified, the seven main offences, mandatory prohibition orders, and how Charter challenges can result in evidence being excluded.
Read ArticleMurder & Manslaughter Charges in Ontario
Homicide offences carry the heaviest penalties Canadian law can impose. Learn the degrees of murder, the line between murder and manslaughter, the mandatory sentences, and the defences available in the most serious Criminal Code cases.
Read ArticleSexual Assault & Sex Crimes in Ontario
Sexual offence allegations are highly sensitive and often turn entirely on credibility. Learn the levels of sexual assault, the law of consent, the consequences of conviction including SOIRA registration, and how a rigorous, discreet defence is built.
Read ArticleTheft & Fraud Charges in Ontario
Theft and fraud charges range from shoplifting to multi-million-dollar cases — and as offences of dishonesty, a conviction can be especially damaging. Learn the $5,000 thresholds, related property offences, and the defences that matter.
Read ArticleMental Health Law in Ontario: An Overview
Where mental health meets the justice system, the law is highly specialized. An overview of the two areas we practise in, how they connect, and where each one is decided.
Read ArticleCriminal Mental Health Law: Fitness, NCR and the Ontario Review Board
Where mental disorder affects a criminal case, two questions come first: whether the accused can participate in the proceedings, and whether they can be held responsible. Learn how fitness and NCR verdicts work, and how the Ontario Review Board decides what happens next.
Read ArticleConsent and Capacity Hearings
Involuntary admission on a Form 1, 3 or 4, findings of incapacity for treatment or property, and community treatment orders. Learn how each one can be challenged before the Consent and Capacity Board, and how quickly hearings happen.
Read ArticleMore articles coming soon
We are regularly adding new guides on criminal law in Ontario.