Toronto Criminal Defence Lawyers

If you’ve been charged with a criminal offence in Toronto or the GTA, we can help.

Strategic Criminal Defence is a full-service criminal defence law firm in Toronto, with a team of skilled and dedicated lawyers. The firm is recognized with glowing testimonials in 120+ Google reviews.

Whether you’ve been charged with impaired driving in downtown Toronto, a property offence in The Beaches, a drug crime in North York, or a violent offence in Etobicoke, pleading guilty is unlikely to be your best option.

A Strategic Criminal Defence lawyer can help if you’re under investigation, arrested, or charged with a criminal offence.

Most individuals never imagine that one day they will appear before a judge, risking many of the things they take for granted, such as:

  • Freedom
  • Driving privileges
  • Employment
  • Travel
  • Education
  • Reputation

The consequences of a conviction can be life-altering. A robust defence from a Strategic Criminal Defence lawyer will help you navigate the crisis and preserve your future.

Our familiarity with the Ontario Court of Justice, the Court of Appeal for Ontario, and the Supreme Court of Canada (and the prosecutors and judges working there) has helped defendants across the GTA, Durham, Halton, Peel, and York areas since 2016.

120+ 5-Star Google Reviews

Trusted by hundreds of clients in Toronto and across Ontario.

1,000+ Cases

Proven results in thousands of criminal defence cases.

25+ Years of Criminal Defence Experience

A focused and seasoned team with over 25 years of combined experience.

24/7 Availability

Here, when you need us, day or night, 24/7.

We appreciate that a strong lawyer-client relationship is formed on the basis of trust. As such, we work hard to ensure that we can foster that trust with our clients.

We adhere to our philosophy of trust by involving our clients through each step of their matter, which is strengthened by our efforts to always ensure that we are communicating regularly with our clients.

By adopting a client-centred approach to our legal representation, we are able to ensure that our clients understand and know that their needs come first. Additionally, we are committed to zealously advocating for our clients to ensure that they receive the best legal representation in a cost-effective manner. By acting proactively and understanding that each case will be different, we aim to provide sound legal advice to meet our client’s needs and secure the right results.

Our motto is 5-Star Rated, 5-Star Service, and 5-Star Results. We have a near perfect 4.8 rating on Google and over 100 reviews speaking to the quality of services you can expect from our firm.

Further, we have been featured in the Toronto Star and are the recipient of the Trust Analytica Top 10 Domestic Violence Lawyers in Toronto award.

If you are seeking criminal trial lawyers to provide a vigorous defence, contact our team at Strategic Criminal Defence today by calling 647-986-8077. We are located at:

Strategic Criminal Defence
100 Richmond St W Suite 414,
Toronto, ON M5H 3K6

Why Hire Strategic Criminal Defence?

Strategy

No two cases are the same. Each has its own unique circumstances and challenges. Applying the best defence strategy to your case is a skill that comes from experience.

Your lawyer will assess whether to negotiate with investigators, the police, or the Crown Prosecutor, or prepare for a trial. He will also guide you on potential steps to reduce the consequences for your future. Seeking a diversion like the Direct Accountability Program may be an option in some cases to avoid a criminal record.

Experience

To the team at Strategic Criminal Defence, experience refers to both our decades of combined criminal defence experience, but also to the client experience.

We understand that our clients are often going through the toughest days of their lives when they call us. We take the responsibility of easing this stressful situation very seriously, prioritising discretion and integrity in our legal services.

Results

The hundreds of successful cases we have achieved over the years are the result of:

  1. Our familiarity with the specific offences with which clients are charged, which helps us build a deep, nuanced understanding of the case.
  2. Our use of forensic specialists/medical experts and Charter defences to bolster our arguments.

How can we help you?

Strategic Advocacy & Negotiation

We engage directly with the Toronto Police Service (TPS) and Crown Prosecutors to explore withdrawals, diversions, or resolutions that minimize impact on your record.

Bail & Immediate Release

If you are held in custody, we represent you at the Toronto Regional Bail Centre (TRBC). We fight for the least restrictive conditions, ensuring you can return to work and family life while your case proceeds.

Constitutional Protection

We rigorously review the details of your arrest to ensure your Charter rights, including the right to counsel and protection from unlawful search, were upheld by investigators.

Defence Strategy & Trial

We build a customized defence based on Ontario case law, whether that involves a strategic plea bargain to avoid a criminal record or a full trial before the Superior Court of Justice.

Evidence Scrutiny

We obtain and analyze the full police disclosure package, identifying technical or procedural errors that can lead to a stay of charges or the exclusion of evidence.

Specialized Court Navigation

Our team provides expert guidance through Toronto’s specialty streams, including Drug Treatment Court, Mental Health Court, and Gladue Court for Indigenous persons.

Awards and Recognition

Trust One Of Toronto’s Most Awarded
Criminal Defence Law Firms

  • Trust-Analytica

Practice areas

A Full-Service Criminal Defence Firm

Impaired Driving

Impaired driving offences in Toronto are strictly prosecuted under the Criminal Code. Impaired driving offences include operating a Motor Vehicle while your ability is impaired or while over 80.

Domestic Violence

A domestic violence charge is a serious offence which can be complex. A charge is considered domestic in nature if it involves violence against a family member or a current or former romantic partner.

Assault Offences

A person can be charged with a simple assault charge when they, directly or indirectly, apply force a person without their consent. If proceeded by indictment, an assault offence carries a maximum sentence of 10 years jail time.

Drug Charges

Drug charges are prosecuted seriously in Toronto and often result in jail time for even minor offences. Common drug charges include possession, trafficking, distribution, and importation of an illicit drug or substance.

Youth Offences

If the individual is between the ages of 12 and 17 and is charged with a criminal offence, then they will be prosecuted under the Youth Criminal Justice Act. The primary goal of the Youth Criminal Justice Act is to rehabilitate young people and reduce youth crime.

Criminal Driving

Criminal driving is a serious offence that includes a wide variety of multiple motor vehicle offences in the Criminal Code. Criminal driving offences under the Criminal Code are different from charges under the Traffic Safety Act of Ontario.

Sexual Assault

A Sexual Assault offence occurs when a person intentionally touches another person with a sexual nature and without their consent. Sexual assault offences include sexual assault, sexual assault with a weapon, sexual assault causing bodily harm, and aggravated sexual assault.

Property Crimes

Property crimes are one of the most common crimes an individual can be charged with. They are serious charges in Canada which includes offences such breaking an entering, theft, mischief, fraud, trespassing, and arson.

Traffic Offences

Traffic offences and violations are breaches of provincial legislation, such as the Traffic Safety Act. A traffic offence is usually considered a crime when it is punishable by imprisonment. However, traffic offences may also be punishable by fines or penalties.

Our Team

Meet Our Lawyers

dylan-finlay

Dylan Finlay

Dylan Finlay is the founding partner of Strategic Criminal Defence’s Toronto branch. Born and raised in the city, he earned his undergraduate degree at the University of Toronto. His practice covers all of Ontario, with notable local cases including challenging Toronto Police Service body-cam policies and challenging COVID-19 restrictions. Both areas have gained him media attention in Toronto.

Key areas of focus: DUI, Domestic Violence, Sexual Assault, Property Offences, Drug Charges

lorant-kiss

Lorant Kiss

Lorant Kiss focuses exclusively on criminal defence across the GTA and Southern Ontario. He holds an Honours B.A. from the University of Toronto and a J.D. from the University of Windsor. Before joining the firm, he gained extensive experience at an established full-service criminal defence firm located in Downtown Toronto.

Key areas of focus: Assault, Drug Offences, DUI, Sexual Assault, Domestic Offences, Fraud, Property Crime

justin-marchand

Justin Marchand

Justin Marchand focuses on defending impaired driving charges in regions of Ontario west of Oshawa, reaching as far as Windsor and Kenora. He is frequently successful in negotiating DUI charges down to Ontario’s Highway Traffic Act offences to help local clients avoid criminal records and maintain their driving privileges.

Key areas of focus: DUI and constitutional litigation

Our Toronto Office

The Toronto office of Strategic Criminal Defence is in the heart of Toronto’s financial and legal district.

This central location serves as a strategic hub for managing criminal matters across the entire Greater Toronto Area (GTA) and Southern Ontario.

We are within walking distance or a very short commute to the city’s most critical legal infrastructure:

  • The New Toronto Courthouse is just minutes away.
  • The Superior Court of Justice is located nearby.

Old City Hall is also in the immediate vicinity of our Richmond Street office.

We Reach Across the Region 

While the firm is headquartered downtown, our position allows for rapid deployment and accessibility across the broader GTA judicial network, including:

  • Toronto Regional Bail Centre (2201 Finch Ave W): Efficient access to the city’s centralized hub for all adult bail hearings and specialized bail matters.
  • Centralized Toronto Courts: Immediate proximity to the New Toronto Courthouse (10 Armoury St), which now handles all criminal matters formerly heard at the Scarborough, Etobicoke, and North York satellite locations.
  • Greater Toronto Area Courthouses: We provide comprehensive representation at major regional courthouses, including Brampton (Peel), Milton (Halton), Newmarket (York), and Oshawa (Durham).

By maintaining a presence in this central corridor, our lawyers are positioned to navigate the complex, multi-jurisdictional nature of the GTA’s legal system—providing consistent advocacy from initial bail hearings at the TRBC to complex trials in the Superior Court.

Get A Free Consultation

Have you been accused of a crime in Toronto?

If you’ve been accused of a crime in Toronto, there might be a long legal journey ahead.

Guiding you through that journey is our job. The legal experience and insight of our dedicated criminal defence lawyers can help you, just as it has helped many hundreds of GTA residents over the past decade.

Our knowledge of the local judicial system, judges, and prosecutors can make a critical difference to your case.

Call Or Send A Message For Help

Available 24/7

647-986-8077

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