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 |
