Peter wanted to be a criminal defence lawyer ever since borrowing a book of Clarence Darrow’s jury addresses from the Guelph Public Library when he was 15.

He articled for prominent Toronto Criminal lawyers Earl Levy, Walton C. Rose and Louis D. Silver and practiced as a young counsel with famous criminal lawyer Ross Mackay.

Peter won his first jury trial two weeks after being called to the bar in 1978. For over four decades of practice he has successfully defended every type of criminal offence in thousands of different trials. He has defended 45 murder trials, securing favourably outcomes in the large majority of them. He has particular expertise in international criminal law and in the defence of major narcotics cases, especially marijuana grow-houses. He has vast experience in conspiracy trials and search and seizure cases. He has been certified by the Law Society as a Specialist in Criminal Litigation since 1991.

Peter understands the tragic consequences of conviction for anyone charged with a criminal offence. He understands that jail is an evil place and is resolved to save as many people from it as possible. He believes that the practice of criminal defence work is a noble and essential calling.

He first met legendary lawyer James Lockyer as his professor in law school. They have had many cases together over the years and now Peter is proud and gratified to begin a formal legal partnership with his old friend.

Call to the Bar
  • Ontario 1978

Career highlights include securing acquittals for:

  • O.G. in the infamous “Just Deserts Murder trial”
  • A.P. in the “Lesbian Axe Murder trial”
  • Protais Zigiranyirazo in a lengthy historic trial before the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda.
  • Numerous successful defences in homicide cases over 40 years:

  

CASE  

CHARGE  

RESULT  

  

1970s  

R v Fernandes (junior counsel)  

1st degree murder  

Acquitted  

  

R v Bugler  

1st degree murder  

Manslaughter  

1980s  

R v Toulouse  

1st degree murder  

Acquitted  

  

R v Jenkins  

1st  degree murder  

Manslaughter  

  

R v Linthorne  

Accessory to murder  

Acquitted  

  

R. v Wyse  

Attempt murder  

Acquitted  

  

R v Bishop  

1st degree murder  

2nd degree murder  

  

R v Nir  

Attempt murder  

Acquitted  

1990s  

R v Wyse  

1st degree murder  

2nd degree murder  

  

R v Nurse  

2nd degree murder  

Acquitted  

  

R v Jones  

Attempt murder  

Acquitted  

  

R v McArthur  

Attempt murder x 5  

Acquitted  

  

R v Grant  

2nd degree murder  

Acquitted  

2000s  

R v Soikie  

2nd degree murder  

Manslaughter  

  

R v Moir  

1st degree murder  

Discharged at preliminary hearing  

 

R v Weaver 

Criminal negligence causing death 

Acquitted 

  

R v Gray  

2nd degree murder  

Manslaughter  

  

Prosecutor v  Zigiranyirazo  

Genocide, murder and war crimes  

Acquitted  

  

R v Pechaluk  

1st degree murder  

Acquitted  

  

R v McNeil  

2nd degree murder  

Manslaughter  

2010s  

R v Weese   

1st degree murder  

2nd degree murder  

  

R v Hughes   

2ND degree murder  

Manslaughter  

  

R v Brown  

1ST degree murder  

Acquitted of murder, convicted of accessory  

  

R v Yussef  

2nd degree murder  

Not criminally responsible  

  

R v Daley  

2nd degree murder  

Manslaughter  

  

R v Headley  

1st degree murder  

Manslaughter  

  

R v Koch  

2nd degree murder  

Discharged at preliminary hearing  

  

R v Singh  

1st degree murder  

Acquitted  

  

R v Lalonde  

2nd degree murder  

Manslaughter  

  

R v Rustam  

1st degree murder  

2nd degree murder  

  

R v Ordonio  

1st degree murder  

Discharged at preliminary hearing  

  

R v Bal  

2nd degree murder  

Manslaughter  

2020s  

R v Scardino  

2nd degree murder  

Acquitted  

  

R v Magiore   

2nd degree murder  

Acquitted  

  

R v MacLeod  

1st degree murder  

Not criminally responsible  

  

R v Ross  

Counselling murder  

Acquitted