Decisions

Subscribe to the RSS Feed for Ontario Court of Justice Decisions

• New Decisions : Ontario Court of Justice

Ontario Court of Justice Recent Decisions

• 2025-04-22 R. v. B.H., 2025 ONCJ 222 (CanLII)
  Key Words:
• 2025-04-17 R. v. Habte, 2025 ONCJ 216 (CanLII)
  Key Words: Constitution — Charter breaches — Arbitrary detention — Unreasonable search and seizure — Right to counsel — Exclusion of evidence — Was the applicant’s detention and search conducted in violation of sections 8, 9, and 10 of the Charter? — Framework for assessing Charter breaches and remedies under section 24(2) of the Charter<br />Rights and freedoms — Arbitrary detention — Section 9 of the Charter — Psychological and physical detention — Investigative detention — Was the applicant’s detention arbitrary under section 9 of the Charter? — Test for arbitrary detention from R. v. Grant and R. v. Le<br />Evidence — Unreasonable search and seizure — Section 8 of the Charter — Warrantless search — Plain view doctrine — Cannabis Control Act — Did the search of the applicant’s person and vehicle violate section 8 of the Charter? — Presumption of unreasonableness for warrantless searches<br />Rights and freedoms — Right to counsel — Section 10(b) of the Charter — Delay in informing of rights — Interrogation before counsel — Did the police fail to provide the applicant with the right to counsel without delay? — Immediate provision of rights to counsel under R. v. Suberu<br />Criminal procedure — Exclusion of evidence — Section 24(2) of the Charter — Seriousness of Charter breaches — Impact on accused’s rights — Public confidence in the administration of justice — Should the evidence obtained through Charter breaches be excluded? — Balancing test from R. v. Grant
• 2025-04-17 Ontario (Ministry of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development) v. The Econo-Rack Group Inc., 2025 ONCJ 213 (CanLII)
  Key Words: Workplace health and safety — Fair trial — Particulars — Provincial Offences Act — Defendant charged under Occupational Health and Safety Act for failing to ensure prescribed measures were carried out — Whether particulars are necessary to ensure a fair trial — Section 35 of the Provincial Offences Act applied — Motion for particulars dismissed as unnecessary for trial fairness<br />Workplace health and safety — Sufficiency of information — Charges under Occupational Health and Safety Act — Defendant alleged to have failed to ensure safe transportation of materials — Whether count #1 sufficiently identifies the circumstances of the alleged offence — Court held count #1 factually sufficient under section 25(6) of the Provincial Offences Act<br />Statutory interpretation — Occupational Health and Safety Act — Ontario Regulation 851, section 45(b) — Conjunctive test — Whether section 45(b) requires proof of both subsections (i) and (ii) — Court declined to decide at this stage, finding it unnecessary for the motion on particulars
• 2025-04-17 R. v. Singh, 2025 ONCJ 214 (CanLII)
  Key Words: Criminal procedure — Jurisdiction of non-trial judge — Remote testimony — Application under section 714.1 of the Criminal Code — Whether a judge who is not the trial judge has jurisdiction to decide an application for remote testimony — Interpretation of “the court” in section 714.1 — Practical considerations for judicial efficiency — Decision: Any judge with jurisdiction in the judicial district may decide a section 714.1 application<br />Evidence — Remote testimony — Sexual assault trial — Complainant residing in another province — Crown application under section 714.1 of the Criminal Code — Factors considered: location and personal circumstances of the witness, costs, nature of evidence, suitability of remote location, accused’s right to a fair trial, seriousness of the offence — Presumption of in-person testimony not displaced — Application dismissed
• 2025-04-17 R. v. Green, 2025 ONCJ 215 (CanLII)
  Key Words: Criminal procedure — Sentencing — Child pornography offences — Denunciation and deterrence — Totality principle — Repeat offender sentenced to 8 years’ imprisonment, reduced to 2 years after pre-trial custody credit — Whether a penitentiary term is warranted for repeat child pornography offences — Criminal Code, ss.718, 718.01, 718.2(c), 719(3.1)<br />Evidence — Long-term offender designation — Psychiatric evidence — Risk of reoffending — Expert testimony on pedophilia and substance use — Whether the accused should be designated a long-term offender and subjected to a 10-year long-term supervision order — Criminal Code, s.753.1<br />Criminal procedure — Pre-trial custody — Enhanced credit — Harsh conditions of incarceration — Lockdowns, triple bunking, and COVID-19 outbreaks at Toronto South Detention Centre — Whether enhanced credit for pre-trial custody is warranted — Criminal Code, s.719(3.1); R v Duncan<br />Criminal procedure — Ancillary orders — Lifetime prohibition under s.161 — SOIRA order for life — Weapons prohibition — Restrictions on Internet use and access to public spaces — Whether ancillary orders are appropriate and proportionate — Criminal Code, ss.109, 161, 490.012, 490.013