Your Defence Lawyer’s Cross-Examination Can Make or Break your Ontario Criminal Trial
OTTAWA CRIMINAL DEFENCE LAWYER – In many criminal defence cases in Ontario, there may not be a great amount of evidence for the accused to bring forth in his or her own defence. The question I hear from many new clients is: “Do I have to call evidence at my trial, or can we build a defence without it?”
The answer is that in some cases, you and your lawyer can successfully fight your case without calling evidence or witnesses for the defence. What’s the secret? It’s all in the cross-examination of the Crown’s witnesses.
The accused’s right to have a lawyer cross-examine Crown witnesses is guaranteed by both the Criminal Code of Canada and the Charter of Rights and Freedoms. This is a crucial part of any criminal trial, and it is often the best way to find the real truth about events that occurred.
During cross-examination, a skilled criminal defence lawyer will attempt to:
- Obtaining admissions from witnesses that weaken the Crown’s case.
- Strengthen the defence case, by making suggestions that the witnesses agree with.
- Discredit the witnesses – by showing that their recollections are inaccurate or contradict other witnesses.
All of these strategies can help your defence, and if the lawyer has enough experience, could lead to having your charges dismissed.
If you have been charged with a criminal offence in Ontario, don’t leave the results of your trial to chance – get the help of an experienced trial lawyer who can use cross-examination and other strategies to fight your charges effectively in court. For more information, contact the Ottawa criminal defence lawyers at Auger Hollingsworth by email [email protected] or by phone at (613) 699-8192.
