After being charged with several criminal offences I hired Matthew Day to represent me. Matthew was very friendly and he explained every step of the way to me so that I was never wondering what was going on. I was able to continue my daily life as usual while he did all the work. I […]
The Ministry of the Attorney General for Ontario announced today that three new judges have been appointed to the Ontario Court of Justice in Ottawa - the Honourable Justice Norman D. Boxall, a former defence lawyer, the Honourable Justice W. Vincent Clifford, a former defence lawyer, and the Honourable Justice Marlyse Dumel, a former prosecutor […]
An “offence” is a legal rule that imposes a penalty for doing something that is prohibited or for not doing something that is mandatory. In other words, it is a law that punishes someone for not following a rule. It is one of the many tools that governments use to regulate society and uphold values. […]
Earlier today, Michael A. Johnston was interviewed on Ottawa Today with Mark Sutcliffe at 1310 News. Michael discussed the Supreme Court of Canada's recent decision in R. v. Jordan, which changed the rules governing a defendant's right to a trial within a "reasonable time" under subsection 11(b) of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms. Michael also discussed the Ontario […]
Our client's wife kicked him out of their home and started divorce proceedings. Almost immediately, she began making claims to the police about our client's apparently abusive behaviour against her, their young son, and her other children. When the police refused to lay charges, she went to a justice of the peace and started "peace […]
The Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms imposes limits and obligations on government authorities and grants rights and privileges to persons suspected or charged with offences. As part of our constitution, the rights and freedoms protected by the Charter supersede other legal rules, including the provisions of the Criminal Code and the Controlled Drugs and […]
Someone stole a cheque from a small business. That person legitimately had possession of our client's bank card, but he deposited the cheque into our client's bank account without his knowledge or consent. When the cheque was reported missing by the business, the police traced it back to our client's bank account. Our client was […]
by Aileen Furey Marie Henein is one of Canada's top criminal defence lawyers, and now a household name after she successfully defended Jian Ghomeshi in his criminal trial earlier this year. You don’t have to aspire to work in the criminal justice system to appreciate the perspective of Ms. Henein. Criminal law is just one […]
by Michael A. Johnston Being accused of a criminal offence has many indelible and irreversible aspects. Often, a criminal defendant is tried and convicted in the courts of public opinion before he or she has even made a first appearance, let alone made full answer and defence. What is worse is that even if a […]
Michael A. Johnston presented his paper "Johnston on Juries for Junior Jurists" as part of the "Awaiting the Verdict: Are Trials by Jury Still a Thing?" panel at the 28th DCAO / CCLA Criminal Law Conference: "Younger members of the profession start their careers with very little, if any, understanding about trial by jury; the […]
