Archives: Team Members

James Lockyer C.M., is a partner in the Toronto office of Lockyer Zaduk Zeeh.

Mr. Lockyer obtained his LLB at the University of Nottingham in 1971 and in 1974 was called to the Bar in England as a barrister. In 1972-1973, he was an Assistant Professor of Law at McGill University and from 1974-1977 he was an Assistant Professor of Law at the University of Windsor. In 1977, he was called to the Ontario Bar and began to practice criminal law. He has been a criminal lawyer for 45 years doing trial defence and appeal work. Since 1992, much of his practice has involved unravelling wrongful convictions.

Mr. Lockyer is a founding director of Innocence Canada (formerly known as the Association in Defence of the Wrongly Convicted (AIDWYC)), a Canada-wide organization that advocates for the wrongly convicted. In that capacity, he has been involved in several high-profile cases which he demonstrated were wrongful convictions including those of:

• Guy Paul Morin, First Degree Murder (Queensville, Ontario 1995)
• David Milgaard, Non-Capital Murder (Saskatchewan 1997)
• Clayton Johnson, First Degree Murder (Nova Scotia 1998)
• Greg Parsons, Second Degree Murder (Newfoundland 1998)
• Peter Frumusa, First Degree Murder (Niagara Falls 1998)
• Gordon Folland, Sexual Assault (Hamilton 1999)
• John Willis, Sexual Assault x 4 (Michigan 1999)
• Kulaveerasingam Karthiresu, Second Degree Murder (Toronto 2000)
• James Driskell, First Degree Murder (Manitoba 2005)
• Steven Truscott, Capital Murder (Goderich, Ontario 2007)
• William Mullins-Johnson, First Degree Murder (Sault Ste. Marie 2008)
• Robert Baltovich, Second Degree Murder (Toronto 2008)
• Anthony Hanemaayer, Break and Enter (Toronto 2008)
• Erin Walsh, First Degree Murder (New Brunswick 2008)
• Sherry Sherret-Robinson, Infanticide (Belleville 2009)
• Kyle Unger, First Degree Murder (Manitoba 2009)
• Jack White, Sexual Assault (Orillia 2010)
• Romeo Phillion, Non-Capital Murder (Ottawa 2010)
• Camille M., Manslaughter (Ottawa 2010)
• Cheryl F., Infanticide (Barrie 2010)
• Tammy Marquardt, Second Degree Murder (Oshawa 2011)
• Richard Brant, Aggravated Assault (Coburg 2011)
• Dinesh Kumar, Criminal Negligence Causing Death (Toronto 2011)
• Leighton Hay, First Degree Murder (Toronto 2014)
• John Salmon, Manslaughter (Woodstock 2015)
•  Maria Shepherd, Manslaughter (Brampton 2016)
•  Frank Ostrowski, First Degree Murder (Manitoba 2018)
• O’Neil Blackett, Manslaughter (Toronto 2020)
•  Joyce Hayman, Administering a Noxious Substance (Toronto 2021)
•  Jacques Delisle, First Degree Murder (Quebec 2021)
• Bernard John Doyle, manslaughter (Kitchener 2023)

Mr. Lockyer is presently working on a number of other wrongful conviction cases in Ontario, British Columbia, Manitoba and Saskatchewan. He has also appeared as counsel at several Public Inquiries into Wrongful Convictions including the Guy Paul Morin Inquiry in Toronto, the Lamer Inquiry in Newfoundland into the Wrongful Convictions of Gregory Parsons, Randy Drunken and Ronald Dalton, the Driskell Inquiry in Manitoba and the Charles Smith Inquiry in Toronto.

In 2001, Mr. Lockyer received the G. Arthur Martin Criminal Justice Medal from the Criminal Lawyers’ Association. In 2005, he received the John Howard Society’s Award for Distinguished Humanitarian Service. In 2010, the Globe and Mail chose him as the National Builder of the Decade in Justice Issues. In the same year, he was named the second most influential lawyer in Canada by Canadian Lawyer Magazine. In 2012, he received the Award for Justice (Advocates Society).  He has received six honorary doctorates from the Law Society of Upper Canada and five Canadian Universities.

For more than 40 years, Mr. Lockyer has given numerous special lectures, talks and speeches on criminal justice issues. Most recently in 2021, he gave the annual Sopinka Lecture.

Mr. Lockyer has argued hundreds of appeals in the Ontario Court of Appeal, and in other provincial appeal courts. He has argued more than 40 appeals in the Supreme Court of Canada.

In December, 2018, Mr. Lockyer was made a member of the Order of Canada.

Call to the Bar

• England 1974
• Ontario 1977

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:

Craig is a partner at Lockyer Zaduk Zeeh. Craig is a tireless advocate for his clients and their rights. He jealously guards his clients’ freedom and fights to ensure they are released on bail. He has been successful in having clients released on bail when charged with firearm, and serious drug offences.

Craig is passionate about providing superior representation to ensure remarkable results for his clients. In the courtroom, he has developed a reputation for skillfully protecting his clients’ rights. He leaves no stone unturned when protecting their Charter rights and will ensure that they are given the best possible defence. He is fully committed to LZZ’s mission to promote fairness and guards against miscarriages of justice.

Craig represents clients charged with all offences, including domestic assault, impaired driving, drug offences, and murder. He represents clients at all court levels in Ontario, including every courthouse in Ontario.

Craig prides himself in always being available to his clients. He is willing to meet on evenings and weekends. To contact Craig and to schedule a consultation call (416) 613-0416 , his personal cell phone (647) 970-2184 or e-mail zeeh@lzzdefence.ca

Call to the Bar

• Ontario 2016

Jeffery Couse obtained his Juris Doctor degree from the University of Toronto, where he graduated with distinction. Prior to attending law school, Mr. Couse completed a Bachelor of Arts (Honours) degree at Wilfrid Laurier University, and a Master of Arts degree at the University of Toronto, both in history. After graduating law school, Mr. Couse clerked at the Superior Court of Justice in Toronto. He has practiced criminal defence since he was called to the bar in 2017.

Mr. Couse’s practice is now focused on appeals but he has successfully represented clients at all levels of court in Ontario. He has defended clients charged with serious offences including murder, possession of firearms, drug trafficking and fraud over $5,000. He has also appeared before administrative panels, including the Ontario Parole Board and Ontario Review Board.

Mr. Couse prides himself on his extensive knowledge of criminal procedure and his creative approach to criminal litigation. Mr. Couse believes that the key to a successful defence is hard work and preparation.

Call to the Bar

• Ontario 2017

Jessica Zita is a partner at Lockyer Zaduk Zeeh. She practices criminal, constitutional, and public law. Jessica has represented clients at all trial and appellate levels in the country, including at the Court of Appeal for Ontario, where she regularly appears, and the Supreme Court of Canada.

Jessica has acted as counsel in numerous jury trials. She has successfully defended clients charged with offences ranging from armed robbery to first degree murder. She has also assisted individuals facing action before the Law Society of Ontario, the Ontario College of Social Workers and Social Service Workers, and the Immigration Division. She also maintains a Prison Law practice where she helps clients navigate the correctional system. She conducts many parole hearings each year, and most recently secured release for a client serving a life sentence for two counts of murder. As a proud advocate against wrongful convictions, Jessica also works with her clients to prepare ministerial review applications in pursuit of exoneration.

Jessica has appeared as appellate counsel on over 60 reported matters. Her cases have had groundbreaking impact on the protection of an accused person’s rights before the criminal justice system. In a recent appeal, Jessica and James Lockyer successfully fought against the state’s efforts to shift the burden of proof onto the accused in sexual assault cases. In doing so, Jessica and James ensured that persons charged with sexual assault offences are afforded the same protections under the law as all other accused persons.

In addition to her private practice, Jessica acts as Duty Counsel at the Ontario Court of Appeal through its prestigious Pro Bono Inmate Assistance Program. In 2021, Jessica was invited to participate as counsel in the Mass Casualty Commission, an Inquiry formed by the Federal and Provincial governments in response to the April 2020 Nova Scotia mass shootings. In 2022, she made closing submissions to the Commission that informed its Final Report.

Jessica received her Juris Doctor at Osgoode Hall Law School and her Honours Bachelor of Arts Degree at the University of Toronto. During law school, Jessica was a judicial extern at the United States Sixth Circuit Court of Appeal.  She is also an alumna of Osgoode’s Criminal Law Intensive Program, and a recipient of the Wendy Babcock Social Justice Award and the Legal and Literary Society’s Student Honour Award.

Jessica has been featured on the CBC, the former Law Times, Hot Docs Film Festival, and published in The Lawyer’s Daily. She is a prior editor for the textbook Criminal Procedure in Canada, and was an annual contributor to the Supreme Court Law Review (2017-2021). Jessica has also guest lectured at the University of Calgary, Simon Fraser University, and Osgoode Hall. She has been recognized as a Top Lawyer in Toronto in the area of criminal law by Post City Magazine.

Call to the Bar

• Ontario 2017

Jeffrey Hartman is among the only Canadian lawyers with a practice devoted exclusively to pursuing damage claims against prison administrators on behalf of Canadian prisoners, particularly at the federal level. His service is in demand across Canada and he has litigated cases in numerous provinces. After operating his own law firm since 2017, Jeffrey is pleased to join Lockyer Zaduk Zeeh as Counsel.

Jeffrey’s practice is informed by his academic work as a PhD Student in the Department of Law & Legal Studies at Carleton University where he researches the gap between sentencing ideals and the reality of prison, governance of the prisoner as a sociolegal entity, and Canadian prison conditions.

Jeffrey regularly lectures undergraduate and law students and has spoken at Western University, McGill University, Dalhousie University, Carleton University, etc.

Jeffrey was admitted to the Law Society of British Columbia in April 2013 and Law Society of Ontario in May 2015, prior to which he completed a Bachelor of Arts (Highest Honours) in Law & Legal Studies at Carleton University in 2008, a Master of Arts in Legal Studies at Carleton University in 2009, and a Juris Doctor at the University of Victoria in 2012.

Emmett Brownscombe received his Juris Doctor degree from the University of Ottawa in 2019, graduating with distinction. Before attending law school, Mr. Brownscombe completed a Bachelor of Arts degree and Master of Arts degree at Trent University, where he majored in History.

After law school, Mr. Brownscombe articled and worked as an Associate at a prominent criminal defence firm in Toronto where he accumulated a considerable amount of trial experience in a short time. He has successfully conducted trials at the Ontario Court of Justice and jury trials at the Ontario Superior Court of Justice. He represents clients charged with all manner of criminal offences, including firearms offences and drug trafficking. He has worked exclusively in criminal defence since his call to the bar in 2020.

Mr. Brownscombe is a passionate defender of his client’s rights. He is committed to delivering an exceptional level of advocacy on the behalf of every one of his clients.

Call to the Bar

• Ontario 2020

Victoria is an associate at LZZ. Victoria summered and articled with Mr. Lockyer, during which she gained invaluable experience working on complex legal matters before the OCJ, SCJ and ONCA.

Victoria graduated with a Juris Doctor from the University of Ottawa, where she worked at the University of Ottawa’s Community Legal Clinic and successfully represented individuals charged with various summary criminal offences and secured numerous withdrawals and acquittals.

Prior to law school, Victoria obtained her Honours Bachelor of Arts in Sociology from Queen’s University.

As an associate, Victoria continues to work with the senior partners on a wide variety of criminal cases while also carrying her own caseload.

Victoria takes pride in ensuring the best possible outcome for her clients, from bail hearing to trial. Victoria appreciates that the court system is overwhelming and is committed to working closely with clients to meet their individual needs. Victoria is constantly communicating with her clients to ensure that they understand the procedural and legal sides of every step of the defence strategy.

Call to the Bar

• Ontario 2021

Rivers is an associate at LZZ. She previously articled for the firm, where she worked closely with each of the partners on a broad range of matters. By assisting in defending serious allegations, including firearm, drug and violent offences, Rivers developed a practical skillset to strategically defend clients.

Rivers earned her JD from the University of Toronto Faculty of Law, where she focused on criminal law and summered with Innocence Canada. She earned her undergraduate degree in Criminology with distinction from Ryerson University, where Rivers received awards for achieving the highest GPA in her class for four straight years and an award for advancing the legal status of women in Canada.

Rivers is keenly aware of the power imbalance that individuals accused of a crime face in the justice system, and is devoted to advocating for her clients to ensure their rights are upheld and interests are defended. She approaches all cases with humanity and determination to achieve the best result possible.

Call to the Bar

• Ontario 2023

Emily Conte is an associate at Lockyer Zaduk Zeeh. Emily earned her law degree from the University of Ottawa, where she acted as a caseworker at the JAIL Accountability and Information Line, Prison Law Practicum. During law school, she served as co-Vice President of the uOttawa Criminal Law Students’ Association and served as a mentor through the Allies in Law Mentorship Program.

Before joining the firm, Emily summered and articled at a boutique defence firm in Toronto, during which time she worked closely with counsel on files with serious offences including possession of firearms and drug trafficking.

Prior to law school, Emily obtained her Honours Bachelor of Arts in Criminology from York University. She was accepted into the International Golden Key Honour Society, and graduated summa cum laude on the Dean’s Honor List.

Call to the Bar

• Ontario 2023