Criminal Defence Law
We provide criminal defence services to our union clients and their members through an association our firm has with some of the country's leading criminal defence lawyers. Our criminal defence services include providing legal representation and advice to members during a criminal investigation, negotiating terms where a member is facing arrest and providing criminal defence in the event that charges are laid, including conducting bail hearings and trials.
Since our clients' members can at the same time face not only criminal, but also professional regulatory and employment sanctions in relation to allegations that arise in the course of their employment, it is essential to have a co-ordinated and cohesive approach to their legal representation. We work closely with our criminal defence lawyers and the members’ union, so that members can have peace of mind knowing that we are seeking the best possible outcome for them on all fronts.
We are in association with the following criminal lawyers:
Erin Dann
Erin Dann earned a bachelor of journalism from Carleton University in 2002 and received her LL.B. from Queen’s University in 2007, graduating first in her class at both Carleton and Queen’s. She clerked for the Honourable Justice Morris Fish at the Supreme Court of Canada and was called to the bar in 2008. Erin completed an internship in Lao PDR assisting in the implementation of the UN’s Enhancing Access to Justice Project before returning to Canada to work at the Crown Law Office Criminal. She joined the criminal defence bar in 2010. Erin practices at both the trial and appellate levels. Erin is a member of the Pro Bono Inmate Appeal Program, a co-ordinator for the Supreme Court Advocacy Institute, and a member of the Queen’s Law Moot Advisory Council. She is a regular speaker at continuing legal education seminars and an adjunct professor at Osgoode Hall Law School and the Faculty of Law at Queen’s University.
Contact Information:
Erin Dann, Barrister
116 Simcoe Street, Suite 100
Toronto, Ontario M5H 4E2
Tel: 416.868.1203
Fax: 416.868.0269
Email: edann@edlaw.ca
Janani Shanmuganathan
Janani Shanmuganathan has a Bachelor of Arts, a Master of Arts in Criminology, and a Juris Doctor from the University of Toronto. She is an adjunct professor at Osgoode Hall Law School and regularly speaks at continuing legal education programs.
Janani has spent her entire legal career practicing criminal defence. During this time, she has defended many teachers, nurses, and other professionals facing criminal allegations and charges. In this role, she routinely provides preliminary advice on how to respond to police investigations, guides individuals through the process of being interviewed and/or charged by the police, and conducts bail hearings across Ontario. She has successfully negotiated the withdrawal of criminal charges in numerous cases. Janani has also conducted many trials for teachers and other professionals. Her trial experience includes defending charges involving sexual assault related offences, often involving multiple complainants or historical allegations.
In addition to her experience representing teachers, Janani has defended all types of criminal charges, including large frauds, homicide, and impaired driving. She is also a seasoned appellate lawyer. She has argued at the Supreme Court of Canada, the Newfoundland and Labrador Court of Appeal, the Saskatchewan Court of Appeal, and regularly appears in the Ontario Court of Appeal.
Contact Information:
Janani Shanmuganathan
Goddard & Shanmuganathan LLP
116-100 Simcoe St.
Toronto, Ontario M5H 4E2
Tel: 416-649-5061
Fax: 647-846-7733
Email: janani@gsllp.ca
Louis P. Strezos
Lou is a co-author of McWilliams Canadian Criminal Evidence (5th ed.) with Mr. Justice S. Casey Hill and Professor David Tanovich. He practices criminal trial and appellate advocacy, professional regulatory work and has appeared before all levels of Court in Canada. He is an adjunct professor at Osgoode Hall law school. He was intervener counsel to the Criminal Lawyers’ Association (Ontario) before the Supreme Court of Canada in R. v. Hall (challenge to the tertiary bail ground) and R. v. Khelawon (threshold admissibility of hearsay); R. v. Craig (post criminal conviction forfeiture); Ontario v. Chatterjee (federalism challenge to Ontario’s civil remedies forfeiture act); R. v. Nixon (a case involving crown repudiation of a plea negotiation) and Ontario v. Criminal Lawyers’ Association. He also acts for First Nations as legal counsel and advisor in respect of their aboriginal and treaty rights having negotiated agreements with both government and proponents. He served as a Toronto Director of the Criminal Lawyers’ Association for 8 years as director and then the Secretary of the CLA. He was the first Chair of the CLA Legal Aid Committee that was formed upon signing of the MOU that ended the Legal Aid Boycott. He is currently a Toronto Vice President. He also sits on the Chief Justice of Ontario’s Advisory Committee on Professionalism. He is also a standing agent for acting for the Public Prosecution Service of Canada. He has published articles in the Criminal Reports and has lectured on criminal law topics ranging from evidence, proceeds of crime and bail. He appears regularly before the Court of Appeal for Ontario as inmate appeal duty counsel in Toronto and Kingston. In addition, he is duty counsel at the Law Society of Upper Canada.
Lou received his BA (Hons) (University of Western Ontario, 1989), LLB (Queens University, 1992), and was called to the Bar of Ontario in 1994.
Contact Information:
Louis P. Strezos & Associates
15 Bedford Rd.
Toronto, Ontario M5R 2J7
Tel: 416.944.0244
Fax: 416.868.0273
Email: lps@15bedford.com