Focused Criminal Defence
Not general practice. Only criminal matters β impaired driving, assault, drug offences, bail hearings, firearms, and related charges.
Young Offenders: Legal Guidance and Defence
Youth Criminal Lawyer: Legal Guidance and Defence
When a young person is accused of a criminal offence, the consequences can feel overwhelming for both the youth and their family. A criminal charge can affect school, relationships, employment opportunities, travel, reputation, and future plans. At the same time, the youth justice system in Ontario recognizes that young people are different from adults and provides a legal framework focused not only on accountability, but also on rehabilitation and reintegration.
- 14+Years defending criminal charges
- 24/7Direct line β a lawyer answers
- 4.9β 207+ Google reviews
- 100%Solicitorβclient privileged
At a Glance
- Type of matterYoung Offenders
- Legal frameworkCriminal Code of Canada
- Where matters are heardOntario Court of Justice Β· Superior Court
- First step with usFree confidential consultation
Why work with us
Four reasons clients choose Saggi Law Firm
Direct Lawyer Contact
You speak with a lawyer, not a paralegal or an intake team. Consultation calls are answered day, night, and weekends.
Case-Specific Strategy
No template defence. Every strategy is built on the actual evidence, disclosure, and circumstances in your file β not a stock template.
Full GTA Coverage
Brampton, Toronto, Mississauga, Vaughan, Newmarket, Milton β appearing daily across Peel and Greater Toronto Area courthouses.
Just been charged?
What to do in the first 24 hours
The choices you make immediately after being arrested or charged can shape the rest of your case. Six practical steps β taken from experience defending criminal matters across Ontario.
Reach a lawyer now
Say as little as possible to police
Beyond confirming your identity, you generally do not have to answer questions. Politely say you want to speak with a lawyer first.
Ask for a lawyer immediately
You have the right to consult counsel without delay. Use it before making any statement or agreeing to any procedure.
Write down what happened while it's fresh
Note the time, location, officers involved, what was said and asked, and the sequence of events. Small details often matter later.
Do not discuss the case publicly
No social media posts, group chats, or text-message venting. Anything you say or write can end up in the prosecution's disclosure.
Preserve anything that may be evidence
Photos, texts, receipts, dashcam footage, medical records β save them. Do not delete or edit anything on your phone or laptop.
Call Saggi Law Firm for a confidential consultation
Free, direct-to-a-lawyer, and privileged from the first word. The sooner you get advice, the more options you keep open.
Overview
At Saggi Law Firm, we provide focused criminal defence for young people facing charges in Ontario. Our team helps families understand what the charge means, what may happen next, and what legal options may be available. We approach each case based on the circumstances of the young person, the allegations, the available evidence, and the principles that apply under the Youth Criminal Justice Act (YCJA).
If your child has been arrested, charged, contacted by police, or is expected to appear in youth court, obtaining legal advice early can help you make informed decisions about the next steps.
What's at stake
What Penalties Can a Young Person Face?
The potential sentence depends on the offence and the circumstances of the individual case. Under the YCJA, sentencing is intended to hold a young person accountable through meaningful consequences while promoting rehabilitation and reintegration into society.
The law also requires the court to consider the circumstances of the young person and the offence when determining an appropriate youth sentence.
Youth Sentences
Depending on the circumstances, available youth sentences can include community-based consequences as well as custody in appropriate cases. The court must consider the sentencing principles established by the YCJA.
Importantly, the YCJA states that a youth sentence should not be more severe than the punishment that would be appropriate for an adult in similar circumstances. It also emphasizes proportionality, rehabilitation, reintegration, and the use of reasonable non-custodial sanctions where appropriate.
Custody Is Not Automatically the Outcome
Being charged with a serious offence does not automatically mean that a young person will receive a custodial sentence.
The court considers the specific facts, the seriousness of the offence, the young person's degree of responsibility, previous findings of guilt, harm to victims, time already spent in detention, and other relevant aggravating or mitigating circumstances.
Where a youth sentence involves custody, the YCJA also provides for reintegration planning and support. A youth worker may assist with programs and a plan designed to help the young person return to the community.
Can a Young Person Receive an Adult Sentence?
In certain serious circumstances, an adult sentence can become an issue under the YCJA. This is not the same as saying that every serious youth offence results in adult sentencing.
The law contains specific requirements governing adult sentences, and the applicable procedure depends on the offence and circumstances.
Because an adult sentence can have significantly different consequences, legal representation is particularly important when this issue arises.
What the Youth Criminal Justice Act Covers
The Youth Criminal Justice Act is the federal law that governs Canada's youth criminal justice system. In Ontario, young people between the ages of 12 and 17 who are accused of criminal offences are generally dealt with under the YCJA.
The YCJA is different from the adult criminal justice system. It recognizes that young people have a reduced level of maturity and accountability compared with adults and places significant emphasis on rehabilitation, reintegration, accountability, and the protection of the public.
Who Is Considered a Young Person?
A young person who is accused of an offence may face a wide range of allegations, including property offences, theft, assault, weapons-related offences, drug offences, mischief, robbery, or other criminal offences.
Being accused does not mean that the young person is guilty. The prosecution must still prove the offence according to the applicable legal standard. A defence lawyer can review the allegations and evidence to determine what legal options may be available.
Understanding a Youth Criminal Charge
The consequences of a youth criminal charge depend on factors such as:
- The specific offence alleged
- The circumstances surrounding the incident
- The young person's age
- Whether anyone was injured
- The young person's role in the alleged offence
- Whether there is a previous youth record
- The available evidence
- Whether the young person has already been dealt with through extrajudicial measures
- Any aggravating or mitigating circumstances
The YCJA also provides for measures outside the formal court process in appropriate circumstances. Police may consider options such as taking no further action, a warning, a caution, or a referral to a community program.
This means that not every situation involving a young person necessarily results in a traditional court process.
Our approach
How We Defend Young People Facing Criminal Charges
At Saggi Law Firm, our defence approach starts with understanding the complete situation rather than treating every youth offence in the same way.
Reviewing the Allegations
We examine the charge, the circumstances of the alleged offence, the prosecution's evidence, and the young person's account of what happened.
A careful review can help identify weaknesses in the prosecution's case and determine whether there are legal or factual issues that should be addressed.
Protecting Legal Rights
Young people have legal rights throughout the criminal justice system. Our role includes helping ensure that those rights are understood and protected.
Depending on the circumstances, this may involve reviewing how the young person was detained or arrested, how statements were obtained, whether searches were lawful, and whether the prosecution has properly disclosed the relevant evidence.
Developing a Defence Strategy
Every criminal defence requires a strategy suited to the individual case.
Depending on the facts, the appropriate approach may involve:
- Challenging the allegations
- Reviewing the reliability of witnesses
- Examining identification evidence
- Challenging admissibility of evidence where appropriate
- Addressing constitutional or procedural issues
- Negotiating with the prosecution
- Seeking an appropriate resolution
- Preparing the matter for trial
- Making submissions concerning an appropriate youth sentence where a finding of guilt occurs
Our objective is to protect the young person's interests while pursuing the strongest legally available outcome.
Considering Alternatives to Traditional Court Consequences
The YCJA recognizes that extrajudicial measures can be appropriate and effective ways of addressing youth crime. For certain circumstances, the law encourages accountability through measures outside the formal court process where those measures are adequate and consistent with the Act.
This makes it important to understand all available options before making decisions about how a case should proceed.
Why Early Legal Advice Matters
A young person and their parents may not know what to say after an arrest or police interaction. They may also be unsure whether speaking with police, accepting a proposed resolution, or attending court without legal representation could affect the outcome.
A youth criminal lawyer can explain the process and help protect the young person's legal rights.
Protecting a Young Person's Future
A criminal charge can create stress well beyond the immediate court appearance. Depending on the circumstances and outcome, families may have concerns about education, employment, travel, professional opportunities, immigration matters, and the long-term impact of a youth record.
The youth justice system contains specific rules concerning the treatment and use of youth records. Because the consequences can depend heavily on the nature of the proceeding and outcome, it is important to obtain case-specific legal advice rather than assuming that a youth charge will automatically disappear or have no future consequences.
Understanding the Evidence
A defence lawyer can examine the prosecution's case and consider questions such as:
What evidence exists?
This may include witness statements, surveillance footage, digital evidence, physical evidence, police notes, statements attributed to the young person, or other material gathered during the investigation.
How was the evidence obtained?
Depending on the circumstances, legal issues may arise concerning searches, statements, identification, detention, arrest, disclosure, or other investigative steps.
Does the evidence support the charge?
The prosecution must establish the required elements of the offence. A defence strategy may involve challenging the evidence, raising legal issues, negotiating an appropriate resolution, or preparing for trial where necessary.
What happens next
What Happens After You Contact Saggi Law Firm?
Families often contact a lawyer because they simply do not know what happens next. Our role is to make the process clearer and provide legal guidance based on the specific circumstances.
Step 1: Initial Discussion
We begin by understanding why the young person is seeking legal help. This may include an arrest, a criminal charge, a police investigation, a court date, a bail issue, or another youth justice matter.
Step 2: Review of the Case
We assess the available information and explain the legal issues that may affect the case.
This can include the alleged offence, potential consequences, procedural requirements, available evidence, and possible defence strategies.
Step 3: Legal Strategy
Once the relevant information is available, we determine the appropriate approach. Depending on the circumstances, this may involve negotiations, applications, preparation for a youth court proceeding, or trial preparation.
Step 4: Ongoing Representation
A young person should not have to navigate the criminal justice system alone. We provide representation and legal guidance throughout the appropriate stages of the case.
Why Choose Saggi Law Firm for Youth Criminal Defence?
A youth criminal matter requires more than simply knowing the name of the offence. The lawyer must understand how the youth justice system approaches accountability, rehabilitation, sentencing, records, and the circumstances of young people.
At Saggi Law Firm, we focus on:
Youth-Focused Legal Guidance
We explain the process in clear language so that young people and their families can understand their legal position and available options.
Individualized Defence
No two cases are identical. We consider the facts, evidence, personal circumstances, and legal issues before developing a defence strategy.
Focused Criminal Defence
Our criminal defence team understands the importance of protecting a young person's rights while addressing the allegations seriously and professionally.
Family Communication
A criminal charge affects more than the person accused. Parents and guardians may have significant questions about court, possible outcomes, and what they should do next. We help families understand the process and the decisions that may arise.
Get Legal Guidance for a Young Person Facing Criminal Charges
A youth criminal charge can be frightening, but an accusation does not determine the final outcome. The Youth Criminal Justice Act provides a distinct legal framework for young people, with an emphasis on accountability, rehabilitation, reintegration, and appropriate consequences.
The earlier a family understands the situation, the better positioned they may be to make informed decisions.
If your child is facing a criminal charge in Ontario, Saggi Law Firm can review the circumstances, explain the youth justice process, and discuss the defence options available in the case.
Contact Saggi Law Firm to discuss your young person's situation and obtain focused criminal defence guidance.
Frequently asked
Questions about this charge
Common questions clients ask about this practice area β answered plainly, without legal jargon.
Still have questions?
The fastest way to get answers specific to your matter is a short confidential call.
What is the YCJA?
The YCJA is Canada's federal legislation governing the youth criminal justice system. It establishes rules concerning youth justice proceedings, extrajudicial measures, sentencing, custody, records, and other aspects of cases involving young persons.
How old does someone have to be to be dealt with under the youth justice system?
In Ontario, people between the ages of 12 and 17 who are accused of criminal offences are generally dealt with under the YCJA.
Does every youth criminal charge go to court?
No. Depending on the circumstances, the YCJA provides for extrajudicial measures, including warnings, cautions, and referrals to community programs.
Whether an alternative to court is available depends on the individual circumstances.
Can a young person be sent to custody?
Custody is available in circumstances permitted by the YCJA, but it is not automatically imposed simply because a young person has been charged. The court must apply the statutory sentencing principles and consider the circumstances of the offence and the young person.
Can a youth receive an adult sentence?
In certain serious cases, the YCJA allows for adult sentencing. The law establishes specific requirements and procedures governing when an adult sentence may apply.
Does a youth criminal charge create a permanent criminal record?
Youth records are governed by specific provisions of the YCJA, including rules concerning access, retention, and eventual destruction or prohibition on use in applicable circumstances. The answer depends on the offence, the outcome, and the applicable provisions of the Act.
Should parents hire a criminal defence lawyer?
Obtaining legal advice early can help a family understand the charge, protect the young person's rights, and evaluate available options. The appropriate legal strategy depends on the circumstances of the case.
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14+
Years defending
criminal charges
criminal charges
1,200+
Cases handled
across the GTA
across the GTA
24/7
Availability day,
night & weekends
night & weekends
4.9β
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207+ Google reviews
207+ Google reviews
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