Toronto Criminal Defence Lawyers

How Criminal Cases Actually Move Through Toronto's Courts

A criminal charge in Toronto does not simply sit on a docket. It moves through a defined sequence of courtrooms, deadlines and decision points, and the choices made in the first days often shape everything that follows. Before you choose from the directory below, it helps to understand how that sequence actually works, because the right defence strategy depends on where in the process your case stands today.

Arrest and Bail at the Toronto Regional Bail Centre

After an arrest, police either release you from the station with conditions and a future court date, or hold you for a bail hearing. Adult bail hearings for the city are consolidated at the Toronto Regional Bail Centre, 2201 Finch Avenue West, which hears all adult bail matters for Toronto, including on weekends. That first appearance is frequently the most consequential step in the entire case: a prepared release plan, organized sureties and counsel who regularly appears in Toronto bail court can be the difference between going home under workable conditions and remaining in custody while the case proceeds. If someone you love is being held for bail, act the same day.

Case Management at 10 Armoury Street

Once bail is resolved, the prosecution itself proceeds in the Ontario Court of Justice at 10 Armoury Street, Toronto's consolidated criminal courthouse. If older paperwork or online sources mention Old City Hall or College Park, be aware that those courthouses no longer hear criminal cases; Toronto's Ontario Court of Justice criminal matters now run through 10 Armoury Street. The early appearances there look administrative but are strategically important. This is where disclosure is requested and reviewed, where Crown and judicial pre-trials take place, and where many cases are resolved, withdrawn or diverted on favourable terms long before anyone mentions the word trial.

Elections, Preliminary Inquiries and Superior Court Trials

For more serious indictable charges, you may have an election: whether to be tried in the Ontario Court of Justice or in the Superior Court of Justice, by judge alone or by judge and jury. Where the offence carries a maximum penalty of fourteen years or more, a preliminary inquiry may also be available, a hearing that tests the Crown's evidence before a trial date is ever set. Superior Court of Justice trials for Toronto, including jury trials, are heard at 361 University Avenue.

The Clock Is Always Running

Every stage above happens against a constitutional deadline. Under the Supreme Court of Canada's Jordan framework, delay between the charge and the end of trial is presumptively unreasonable once it exceeds 18 months for cases in the Ontario Court of Justice or 30 months for cases in the Superior Court of Justice. Those ceilings discipline the entire system, and experienced defence counsel track every adjournment against them from the day the charge is laid.

Where to Start by Charge

The directory below lists every Toronto criminal practice area we cover. If you are not sure where to begin, start with the guide that matches the situation in front of you. These are the matters Toronto families contact us about most often, and each guide goes deep on process, defences and next steps.

Homicide and death investigations. Nothing moves faster or carries higher stakes than a murder or manslaughter allegation. Our Toronto homicide lawyers guide explains how these prosecutions unfold and why counsel must be involved before any police interview takes place.

Bail hearings and detention. When someone you love is being held at 2201 Finch Avenue West, hours matter. Our Toronto bail lawyers page walks through surety preparation, release plans and what to bring to court today.

Assault allegations. Assault files range from momentary altercations to serious allegations involving bodily harm or weapons. The Toronto assault offence lawyers guide covers the full spectrum of charges and the defences most commonly raised.

Impaired driving and DUI. Most people charged with impaired driving have never seen the inside of a courtroom before. Our impaired driving lawyer in Toronto guide explains licence consequences, the court process and how these cases are challenged.

Young people under 18. Youth prosecutions follow their own procedures and their own sentencing principles. Our Toronto youth criminal defence lawyers guide explains how the youth system differs and what parents should do first.

Charges outside Toronto. If the charge arises in Markham, Vaughan, Richmond Hill or elsewhere in York Region, the case does not proceed in Toronto at all; York Region criminal matters are heard at the Newmarket courthouse, 50 Eagle Street West. Start with our Markham criminal defence lawyer guide.

Why Kazandji Law

Criminal defence at Kazandji Law is senior-counsel work: the lawyer you meet is the lawyer who runs your file, prepares your bail plan and stands beside you in court. We defend clients across the Greater Toronto Area from four offices, and because arrests do not keep business hours, consultations are free and the phone is answered 24/7 at 647-588-3234.

• Toronto (head office), 180 John Street, Unit 320
• Thornhill, 7191 Yonge Street, Suite 310, serving Markham and York Region
• North York
• Oakville

Before you decide who should defend you, review our recent case successes and our client reviews on Google, then call and ask us the hard questions about your own case.