Criminal Lawyers

If you have been charged with Assault, the police will likely bring you to the police station and ask for a statement. In the interview room you will be audio and video recorded.  Other than cooperating by providing your name and address, we advise our clients not to provide a police statement as it will be used in court and may be used against you as an inculpatory statement and you may incriminate yourself.

On your first court date, if you are not in custody and you are unrepresented, you can expect to stand before a Justice of the Peace and advise the court whether you intend to hire a lawyer or seek legal aid assistance with your case. Covid-19 has drastically changed the manner in which you may attend your first court date.  First appearances may be held by video conference Zoom or other methods as outlined by your release documents.

You may or may not receive a disclosure package from the Crown on this date. You will also be required to set a return date in order to advise the court as to how you will be proceedings with your case. It is advisable to secure legal representation prior to your first court date. A lawyer will be able to secure your rights from the beginning. For example, there are important statements about your case that may need to be addressed before the court and reflected on the record, which only an experienced criminal lawyer can do to protect your rights from the start. Having a lawyer from the beginning of your case will give you the leading edge to ensure the best possible outcome.

An undertaking includes the terms of your release for the duration of your pending charges. Commonly, the obligation to reside within the Province of Ontario must be followed. Our Criminal Lawyers routinely negotiate your terms of release with the Crown and have the terms varied to accomodate your individual needs.

A pardon, now called a “Record Suspension”, is an application to the Government of Canada to remove your criminal record, and create an ability to remove stigma and make a fresh start for travel, employment, and immigration. A person applying for a pardon must have completed their sentence, including Parole/Probation, and have paid any fines or financial penalties ordered. They must have served a required waiting period, which is now 5 years for Summary offences / 10 years for Indictable offences. The new legislation changed this wait period from the previous wait period of 3 years for Summary and 5 years Indictable. Individuals must also have demonstrated that they are law-abiding citizens. A Notice of changes to the Pardons program under Bill C-10, Amendments to the Criminal Records Act (CRA), came into effect on March 13th, 2012. Individuals convicted of sexual offences against minors (with certain exceptions) and those who have been convicted of more than 3 indictable offences, each with a sentence of 2 or more years, are now ineligible for a record suspension.

Depending on the type of offence, there are specific immigration consequences that an individual who is not a Canadian citizen needs to be aware of. For example, if you are a Permanent Resident, with a single ‘Summary’ (non-hybrid) offence and you receive a conviction in which your sentence is less than 6 months in jail, then you will still be admissible. The same is true for a Foreign National, a Protected Person (i.e. Convention Refugee), and Refugee Claimant. If you have two Summary (non-hybrid) offences that did not arise out of the same occurrence, and your conviction disposition is imprisonment for less than six months, then a Permanent Resident will still be admissible. However, a Foreign National will be inadmissible without appeal. Only a Convention Refugee, Protected Persons, or Claimant Refugee, will be admissible with appeal or refugee claim maintained. The issue arises where a Permanent Resident is convicted of a hybrid or indictable offence and a person receives a conviction with a disposition of imprisonment equal to or more than six months. Then, at Permanent Resident will be inadmissible without appeal. Our Criminal Lawyers understand the consequences of a criminal conviction on a persons status in Canada. We also have connections with well-known Immigration Lawyers who can advise you about the consequences. We always recommend speaking directly to an immigration lawyer for specific questions about your status in Canada. However, our criminal lawyers work very hard to ensure that your status will not be affected by specific outcomes of your charge. Contact our office today to discuss your criminal charge. Ask us about the Faster Removal of Foreign Criminals Act also.