Supreme Court Of Canada Appeal Lawyers

An appeal to the Supreme Court of Canada requires specialized expertise. In the criminal law context, the Supreme Court generally only accepts appeals in two situations. First, when one of the judges on the court of appeal dissents—that is, disagrees with the other judges—there is usually an automatic right of appeal to the Supreme Court of Canada.

Second, the Supreme Court may grant “leave”—that is, permission—to appeal in special cases. The Supreme Court grants permission in very few cases, so asking for leave to appeal requires special preparation. Leave is only granted when a case raises an issue of public or national importance. In a Supreme Court appeal, your appeal lawyer must know how to frame the case and present it to the court in a way that maximizes your chances of getting leave. It is not enough to say that you are innocent, or even that the court of appeal made a mistake—you must show that your case is important enough to be taken up by the highest court in Canada.