Criminal
Disclosure and Trial within Reasonable Time
Stinchcombe disclosure and Jordan ceilings.
Two pillars of modern Canadian criminal procedure govern the pre-trial phase. Stinchcombe (1991) requires the Crown to disclose all relevant non-privileged information to the defence. Jordan (2016) imposes presumptive ceilings on trial delay — 18 months in provincial court, 30 months in superior court, with net delay above the ceiling presumptively unreasonable.
Together they govern Crown obligations in the pre-trial phase: disclose everything relevant; bring the case to conclusion within the ceiling.
Key principles
- Crown duty to discloseAll relevant non-privileged information, inculpatory or exculpatory.
- Jordan ceiling18 months provincial; 30 months superior.
- Defence delaySubtracted from total to give net delay measured against the ceiling.
Cases (12)
R v Beaver
landmark[2022] 1 SCR 743
Supreme Court of Canada· 2022· Criminal
R v Brown
landmark[2022] 1 SCR 506
Supreme Court of Canada· 2022· Criminal
R v Sharma
landmark[2022] 3 SCR 1
Supreme Court of Canada· 2022· Criminal
R. v. Khill
landmark2021 SCC 37
Supreme Court of Canada· 2021· Criminal
R. v. Friesen
landmark2020 SCC 9
Supreme Court of Canada· 2020· Criminal
Trinity Western University v. Law Society of Upper Canada
landmark2018 SCC 33
Supreme Court of Canada· 2018· Criminal
R v Cody
landmark[2017] 1 SCR 659
Supreme Court of Canada· 2017· Criminal
R. v. Bradshaw
landmark2017 SCC 35
Supreme Court of Canada· 2017· Criminal
Carter v. Canada (Attorney General)
landmark2015 SCC 5
Supreme Court of Canada· 2015· Criminal
R. v. Hart
landmark2014 SCC 52
Supreme Court of Canada· 2014· Criminal
R. v. J.A.
landmark2011 SCC 28
Supreme Court of Canada· 2011· Criminal
Reference re Securities Act
landmark2011 SCC 66
Supreme Court of Canada· 2011· Criminal