In allegations of sexual offences involving children, cross-examination is often the central mechanism through which the truth is tested. It is the principal safeguard that ensures the evidence presented against an accused person is both reliable and credible.

Allegations of sexual assault involving a child represent some of the most serious and emotionally charged offences in Canadian criminal law.

Building an effective defence requires a disciplined, methodical approach grounded in evidence, legal expertise, and a deep understanding of how allegations involving minors emerge and evolve. Each defence must be tailored to the specific facts, but certain strategic principles recur in nearly all cases.

Allegations of sexual offences against children are among the most grave and emotionally charged in Canadian criminal law. Courts treat these complaints with serious attention, and rightly so. Yet Canadian jurisprudence—and decades of child psychology research—acknowledge that not all allegations involving minors are accurate.

Allegations of sexual offences involving minors command exceptional attention in Canada’s courts. Yet despite their emotional weight, judges must carry out the same fundamental task that applies in all criminal proceedings: they must assess whether the Crown has proven the charge beyond a reasonable doubt.

Allegations of sexual offences involving children engage some of the most serious and emotionally charged matters in Canadian criminal law. For an accused person, the process is extraordinarily stressful, complex, and often bewildering.

Allegations of sexual offences involving children often extend far beyond the initial statement to police. Schools, counsellors, family physicians, child protection agencies, and mental-health professionals may become involved before or after the complaint emerges.

When we think of criminal defence in Ottawa, we often think of civilian courts — but right in our backyard (or up the highway, in Petawawa or Pembroke) lives an entirely different system: the military justice system.When we think of criminal defence in Ottawa, we often think of civilian courts — but right in our backyard (or up the highway, in Petawawa or Pembroke) lives an entirely different system: the military justice system.

Credibility is often the deciding factor in Canadian sexual assault trials. I break down how courts assess credibility and reliability, using the R. v. McLeod et al. (Hockey Canada) case and leading Supreme Court rulings.