Introducing Canadian Criminal Law Matter Plans
OMPN Team
Open Matter Plans Network
Today we are launching 37 new matter plans covering Canadian criminal law: 10 core plans and 27 forks that adapt them to particular situations.
What Is Covered
The new plans span the entire criminal litigation lifecycle, from initial retainer and bail hearings through to trial preparation, sentencing, and appeals. Each plan is tailored to the specific procedural requirements of its target jurisdiction.
- Summary conviction appeals and indictable offence appeals
- Youth Criminal Justice Act (YCJA) summary prosecutions, adult sentencing and custody transitions
- Dangerous offender and long-term offender designation proceedings
- Not criminally responsible and fitness to stand trial
- Proceeds of crime and asset forfeiture, SOIRA registration, and record suspension applications
Jurisdiction-Specific Timelines
Every plan includes dynamically calculated timelines based on court rules. When a triggering event occurs - such as a date of service or arraignment - the entire downstream deadline chain recalibrates automatically. This is particularly critical in criminal law where Jordan timelines impose strict presumptive ceilings on trial delay.
The Supreme Court of Canada in R. v. Jordan (2016 SCC 27) established presumptive ceilings of 18 months for provincial court matters and 30 months for superior court matters. Our plans automatically track these ceilings and generate escalating alerts as they approach.
Practitioner Traps
Each plan surfaces the critical pitfalls that catch criminal law practitioners off guard. From missed election windows to inadequate Rowbotham applications, every trap maps to a PMS automation that prevents it before damage is done.
Every authority in these plans is checked against a primary source. If you practise in this area and spot something that has moved on, the suggestion button on each task sends it straight to review.