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CRIMINAL DEFENCE IN DURHAM REGION

Criminal Lawyer Durham Region

Every criminal charge laid in Durham Region is prosecuted at the same courthouse in Oshawa, whether the incident happened in Whitby, Ajax, Pickering, Clarington or anywhere else in the region. This office is two minutes from it.

THE COURT

One courthouse for the whole region

Durham Regional Police lay charges across eight municipalities, and all of them are heard at the Durham Region Courthouse at 150 Bond Street East in Oshawa.

That means residents of Whitby, Ajax, Pickering, Clarington, Scugog, Brock and Uxbridge all attend court in Oshawa. Your release paperwork will name that courthouse and a courtroom, and your first appearance will be there regardless of where in the region you were stopped or arrested.

The region has grown quickly and the criminal list has grown with it. Delay is a genuine feature of these courts, and it is worth tracking from the first appearance because it occasionally becomes an argument in its own right.

Durham Regional Police

The service operates specialised units, including domestic violence, sexual assault and a drug and firearms enforcement unit. Files coming out of those units tend to be better documented and to involve more investigative technique, which means more material to review and more places for a lawful authority argument to arise.

Being local is practical, not sentimental

Attending the same courthouse regularly means knowing the Crown office, the duty counsel, the clerks and the way the lists move. On a file that turns on getting into a resolution stream, that familiarity is worth more than any slogan.

THE PROCESS

What happens after you are charged

The sequence is broadly the same wherever you were charged. Knowing it in advance takes a great deal of the fear out of it.

Release or a bail hearing. You are either released by police with conditions, or held for a hearing. On serious allegations, and on most domestic matters, expect a hearing.
First appearance. The date is on your release paperwork. Nothing is decided that day. Counsel can ordinarily attend in your place, and disclosure is requested.
Disclosure review. The Crown provides its evidence. This is where the case is genuinely assessed, and where the arguable issues are found.
Crown resolution discussions. A large proportion of matters end here, through withdrawal, diversion, a peace bond or a negotiated position.
Trial, if it is required. Judge alone in the Ontario Court of Justice, or judge alone or judge and jury in the Superior Court on an election.
You do not need to live here

Your matter is heard where the charge was laid, not where you live. Clients across Ontario are represented at the Durham Region Courthouse, with consultations by phone or video and attendance in person on the days it matters.

One lawyer on the file

Kashif Alam appears on your matter personally. Your file is not passed to a junior or covered by an agent who has not read it.

Fees and Legal Aid

Flat fees quoted before the work begins, payment plans available, and Legal Aid Ontario certificates accepted.

QUESTIONS WE ARE ASKED

Frequently asked questions

Do you appear at the Durham Region Courthouse?
Yes. Matters at the Durham Region Courthouse are attended personally, and consultations can be arranged by phone or video before the first appearance.
I live somewhere else but was charged in Durham Region. Can you help?
Yes. A charge is prosecuted where it was laid. Being represented at the Durham Region Courthouse does not require you to live nearby.
Do I have to attend my first appearance in person?
Usually not. Counsel can ordinarily appear on your behalf for routine appearances, which spares you a day of work and a long drive.
What is the first thing I should do?
Say nothing further to police, read your release conditions carefully, and call before your first appearance rather than after it.
Do you accept Legal Aid for matters in Durham Region?
Yes. Legal Aid Ontario certificates are accepted, and flat fees with payment plans are available where you do not qualify.
SPEAK WITH COUNSEL

Charged in Durham Region? Let us talk about it.

The first consultation is free and confidential. You will get a direct assessment of the charge, the process ahead, and what it will cost. Flat fees, payment plans and Legal Aid certificates are all accepted.

647.721.5150REQUEST A CONSULTATION
Available evenings and weekends. Reachable at any hour for an arrest in progress.

Request a Free Confidential Consultation

Speak directly with Kashif Alam. Your information remains strictly confidential under solicitor-client privilege.