Canadian Criminal Procedure and Practice/Introduction

Preface

This text was written as a reference on the procedure for prosecuting the Criminal Code offences. The audience for this text will be mostly criminal law practitioners, police officers, and law students, who need a convenient way to look up principles and case law. Where possible there are links to cited cases on CanLII for ease of reference.

Organization of the Book

This book is grouped into three main sections. It is meant to cover all aspects of procedure from the point of initial investigation by police, including arrest and search powers, remedies for charter breaches during investigations, through to bail, which completes the first section. The second section reviews the duties of counsel in preparing for trial, most importantly the right to disclosure. The final section, and biggest, covers many areas of law beginning with the form of charges, pleas, and elections. Motions available before and during trial are then covered. The book also covers the law of preliminary inquiries and trial, focusing on each step of a trial as well as special consideration for jury trials. The last portion of the section involves appeals and cases involving the mentally ill.