Practice area
Criminal Defence
A charge is an allegation, not a conviction.
Overview
A charge is an allegation. It is not a conviction.
That distinction gets lost fast, because the consequences start immediately.
A release condition keeps you out of your own home. An employer finds out. A family court file becomes more complicated. If you’re not a citizen, a conviction on the wrong charge can end your status in this country.
So the first conversation is about two things at once: the charge, and everything else the charge is about to affect.
What we do
- First appearances and setting the file up properly
- Bail hearings, and variations of release conditions that aren’t workable
- Reviewing the Crown’s disclosure — line by line, because that’s where the case is
- Identifying what the Crown can actually prove
- Crown pre-trials and resolution discussions
- Charter applications
- Pre-trial motions
- Guilty pleas and sentencing submissions, where those are the client’s instructions
- Trials
Charges we handle
Assault, domestic assault, uttering threats, mischief, theft and fraud, failure to comply with release conditions, and other Criminal Code matters.
We can also advise on the immigration consequences of a criminal charge, which not every criminal lawyer offers and which can determine which resolution a client should accept.
Two things worth saying plainly
First: don’t explain yourself to the police. People talk because they’re innocent and believe an explanation will end it. It rarely does, and it can’t be taken back.
Second: the early dates are mostly administrative. Disclosure takes time, and it can feel like nothing is happening. Usually, something is — it just isn’t happening in the courtroom.
General information only, not legal advice. For advice about your situation, book a consultation.
Book a consultation
Talk to us about your criminal matter.
Tell us briefly what is happening. We will check for conflicts and respond promptly.
- shajjan@shajjanlaw.ca
- Consultations by appointment, in person or by video.