Dylan Finlay

I am a criminal defence lawyer and Managing Partner of Strategic Criminal Defence Toronto. Strategic Criminal Defence Toronto is a Full Service Criminal Defence Law Office, with central offices in Victoria, Toronto, Calgary and Edmonton.

Since 2016, I have exclusively practiced criminal defence. In that capacity, I have successfully defended hundreds of clients in the Ontario Court of Justice, the Ontario Superior Court of Justice, and Alberta Provincial Court, and have assisted other members of our team on countless more, from mischief to murder.

I am a natural and persuasive advocate. No two cases are the same. Advocacy is an art that applies creativity to legal knowledge. One of the biggest advantages of our services is that you don’t just get my help; you get the collective assistance and experience of our entire organization behind me. At every step of the process, we look for opportunities to add value to our clients through strategic thinking and creating solutions.

Knowing the law is important, but it’s only one part of the process. At OCD Law, we know how difficult and stressful being charged with a criminal offence can be. We pride ourselves on not only securing the right result, but giving our clients peace of mind along the way. Our team approach to legal representation is client-rather than only law-centred. I work hard to be accessible to clients, whether by phone, email, or text message.

We work hard to get to know our clients so we can better advocate for them. It is important that I get to know your background, your family situation, your employment status, etc. The more we know, the more effectively we can represent your interests to the police, the prosecutor and the judge. In turn, I’d like you to get to know me so you are comfortable and confident with the representation you receive. Schedule a free consultation with me to understand how I can apply my creativity to your unique case.

Dylan Finlay on COVID-19: Enforcing social distancing with fines is one step too far

Beyond assisting individual clients, I try to educate the public at large about their rights and legal obligations. To that end, I have been published on criminal law topics from drug-impaired driving to the diversion program. I have also appeared on the Toronto radio program to comment on the constitutionality of mandatory alcohol screening and hosted a seminar on changes to impaired driving laws.

During the COVID19 pandemic, I was published and was widely interviewed on the Province’s Emergency Order that closed park amenities. My personal experience during the pandemic helped shed light on the issue for many Torontonians, and indeed for all Canadians.

• Dylan Finlay on COVID-19: Enforcing social distancing with fines is one step too far

• Man acquitted after Toronto cops mute body cameras during arrest

I earned my Honours Bachelor of Arts Degree (HBA) at the University of Toronto and my Juris Doctor (JD) at the University of Calgary.

My drive to assist and educate others sprang up long before I opened the Toronto law office. Even during law school, I was actively engaged in the University of Calgary pro-bono legal clinic called Student Legal Assistance (SLA). Beyond helping many individuals gain access to justice who were below the poverty line, I rose through the ranks of SLA to become Trial Coordinator for the program’s Trial Division.

During Law School, I also regularly contributed to ABlawg (The University of Calgary Faculty of Law Blog). Some of my most notable blogs include the following:

• Smoke and Mirrors? With Marihuana Legalization, Parliament Proposes to Drastically Expand Police Power
• The Saga of the Intoxication Defence Continues: Desjarlais and its Application to Uttering Threats
• A Case for Adopting the Lewko Approach to Refusal Law 
• Deconstructing Investigative Detention
• “Putting” Browne v Dunn into Perspective

One of the highlights of my legal education was participating in the 2016 Gale Cup Moot competition. It was an honour to be selected by the University of Calgary faculty committee to even be part of the Moot team. Apart from representing the University at the Nationals, I was the top-ranked mooter in my individual moot. Justice Harvey Groberman of the British Columbia Court of Appeal described my ability to respond to questions from the judges as “dynamic”.

Post Law School, I articled (apprenticed) with Savage Oykhman Law, one of the top criminal defence firms in Calgary. In 2017, I brought my advocacy style to Ontario courtrooms when I returned to Toronto (where I was born and raised) to open the OCD Law Toronto office.

Every day, I continue to represent all types of clients, and all types of Criminal Charges. Fortunately, I am able to keep my rates very competitive, and even occasionally assist people on Legal Aid (for those who can’t afford a private lawyer). I have a particularly strong focus on

• DUI’s, 
• Domestic Violence,
• Sexual Assault,
• Property Offences, and
• Drug Charges

With the support of our criminal defence lawyer network across the country, there is no file too small or two large for me to handle.

If you have been charged with a criminal offence, contact me for a Free Consultation and give me the opportunity to explain what I can do to help.

• $750 for doing chin ups in a park. Sitting on benches banned. Do emergency measures go too far? 

• DUIs
• Domestic Violence
• Sexual Assault
• Property Offences
• Drug Charges

• Honours Bachelor of Arts Degree (HBA) at the University of Toronto
• Juris Doctor (JD) at the University of Calgary.