M. Kalia

The Ontario Review Board held a mandatory annual review hearing for an accused found not criminally responsible for assault and weapons offences in 2009.

The accused, diagnosed with an unspecified schizophrenia spectrum disorder and substance use disorder, had made significant progress in the past year despite a history of elopement and substance use.

The Board concluded that the accused continues to represent a significant threat to public safety.

The Board ordered the maintenance of the current disposition with the addition of a community living condition to facilitate future placement in highly supervised accommodation.

The Ontario Review Board held a mandatory annual hearing for the accused, who was found not criminally responsible for arson and breach of probation.

The hospital and all parties recommended continuing the current disposition, which detains the accused at the hospital but grants privileges to live in supervised community accommodation.

The Board found that the accused continues to pose a significant threat to public safety due to schizophrenia, a history of substance abuse, and the risk of medication non-compliance.

The Board ordered the continuation of the current disposition to ensure adequate support and supervision as the accused transitions to more independent living.

The Ontario Review Board held a hearing to review a restriction of liberty (ROL) imposed on the accused, who had been living in the community but was readmitted to the hospital due to decompensation and substance use.

The hospital sought to stabilize the accused while awaiting a more supportive housing placement.

The Board found that the ROL was necessary and warranted to protect the public and prevent further decline in the accused's mental state.

The Board ordered the continuation of the current disposition, noting the accused remains a significant threat to public safety but supporting his transition to new supportive housing.

The Ontario Review Board held a mandatory annual review for an accused found not criminally responsible for criminal harassment and other offences.

The hospital recommended continuing the detention order but deleting conditions prohibiting contact with the victim, noting the accused's stability and lack of delusions.

The Crown opposed deleting the conditions.

The Board concluded the accused remains a significant threat to public safety and maintained all conditions, including the no-contact provisions, citing the seriousness of the offences, the accused's limited insight, and the lack of updated information regarding the victim.

The accused was found unfit to stand trial on charges including sexual assault and resisting a peace officer.

The Ontario Review Board held a hearing to determine his fitness and appropriate disposition.

The Board found that while his symptoms were improving with clozapine, he remained unfit to stand trial due to thought disorganization and rigid thinking that impaired his ability to meaningfully participate in a complex sexual assault trial.

The Board ordered a detention disposition with privileges, as his medication was not yet optimized and he lacked community support.

The Ontario Review Board held an initial hearing for an accused found unfit to stand trial on charges including assaulting police with a weapon and dangerous driving.

The accused, diagnosed with Schizophrenia, continued to experience grandiose and persecutory delusions and believed his charges had been withdrawn.

Applying the contextual test for fitness, the Board found the accused remained unable to conduct a defence or instruct counsel due to his mental disorder.

Concluding that the accused posed a significant threat to public safety and lacked community supports, the Board ordered his detention in hospital with privileges for indirectly supervised entry into the community.

The Ontario Review Board conducted an annual review of the accused's conditional discharge disposition.

The accused, who was found not criminally responsible for assault and assaulting a peace officer, sought an absolute discharge.

The hospital and the Attorney General argued that the accused remained a significant threat to public safety due to his schizoaffective disorder, lack of insight, and stated intention to reduce his antipsychotic medication.

The Board accepted the psychiatric evidence that the accused's risk of violence would increase if he reduced or stopped his medication.

The Board concluded that the accused continues to pose a significant threat to the safety of the public and ordered the continuation of the existing conditional discharge.

The Ontario Review Board conducted an annual review of the disposition for an accused found not criminally responsible for assault and failing to comply with probation.

The accused, diagnosed with schizophrenia and substance use disorders, requested a conditional discharge.

The Hospital and the Attorney General requested that the detention order be maintained.

The Board accepted the hospital's evidence that the accused remains a significant threat to public safety due to ongoing cocaine use, which predictably causes precipitous mental decompensation and risk of physical aggression.

The Board concluded that a detention order with privileges to live in approved community accommodation remained the necessary and appropriate disposition.

The Ontario Review Board conducted a mandatory annual review of the accused's disposition.

The accused, who was previously found not criminally responsible for weapons and assault offences, sought an amendment to his conditions to permit cannabis use.

The Board found that the accused continues to represent a significant threat to public safety due to his schizophrenia and history of substance abuse.

Relying on psychiatric evidence that cannabis use increases the accused's paranoia and risk of aggression, the Board dismissed the request and ordered the continuation of the current detention order without change.

The Ontario Review Board conducted an annual review and a restriction of liberty review for an accused found not criminally responsible for threatening to burn property, dangerous operation of a motor vehicle, and assault.

The accused, who has schizophrenia and a history of substance use, was readmitted to the hospital after a breach of his disposition.

The Board found that the accused continues to represent a significant threat to public safety.

The Board ordered the continuation of the detention order but amended the conditions to permit the use of cannabis obtained from licensed dispensaries, accepting the treatment team's opinion that this would allow for safe monitoring of his mental state.

The Ontario Review Board held an annual review hearing for an accused found not criminally responsible for attempted murder and failure to comply with a probation order.

The accused, diagnosed with schizoaffective disorder, did not attend the hearing.

The Board found that the accused continues to represent a significant threat to the safety of the public due to ongoing psychotic symptoms, lack of insight, and treatment incapability.

The Board ordered the continuation of the current detention order at the hospital without change to its terms.

The Ontario Review Board held a hearing to review the disposition of the accused, who was previously found not criminally responsible for criminal harassment.

The Board found that the accused, who is diagnosed with schizophrenia, continues to represent a significant threat to the safety of the public due to ongoing symptoms, limited insight, and a moderate risk of violence.

The Board ordered the continuation of his conditional discharge, but removed the condition prohibiting the consumption of intoxicating substances, as substance use was no longer deemed a risk factor.

The Ontario Review Board held an annual review hearing for the accused, who was previously found not criminally responsible for assault with a weapon and aggravated assault.

The accused had been living in the community under a conditional discharge, maintaining full compliance with treatment, sustained abstinence from substances, and full-time employment.

The hospital, the accused, and the Attorney General jointly submitted that the accused no longer posed a significant threat to public safety.

The Board agreed, finding that the accused's schizophrenia was well-managed with no active psychotic symptoms, and granted an absolute discharge.

The accused, previously found not criminally responsible for manslaughter, appeared before the Ontario Review Board for a mandatory review hearing.

The Board found that the accused continues to represent a significant threat to the safety of the public due to a diagnosis of schizophrenia, a history of non-adherence to medication, and a fragile mental state.

The Board ordered the continuation of the detention order, concluding that a conditional discharge would not provide the necessary monitoring to manage the accused's risk in the community.

The Ontario Review Board conducted an annual review of the accused's disposition.

The accused, who has treatment-resistant schizophrenia, was previously found not criminally responsible for possession of a weapon for a dangerous purpose and aggravated assault of a peace officer.

The parties jointly submitted that the detention order should be maintained with minor changes to privileges.

The Board accepted the joint submission, finding that the accused continues to represent a significant threat to the safety of the public and that a detention order remains the necessary and appropriate disposition.

The Ontario Review Board conducted an annual review of the accused's conditional discharge following a finding of not criminally responsible for harassing communications and criminal harassment.

The accused, who has schizoaffective disorder and a history of substance use, had recently relapsed into substance use after a period of stability.

The Board accepted the joint submission of the parties and the uncontradicted hospital evidence that the accused remains a significant threat to public safety.

The conditional discharge was maintained with the same conditions, including substance screening.

The Ontario Review Board conducted an annual review of the disposition for an accused found not criminally responsible for second-degree murder.

The accused, diagnosed with schizoaffective disorder, had made positive progress in hospital but remained susceptible to stress and experienced ongoing auditory hallucinations.

The Board accepted the joint submission of the parties and the uncontradicted hospital evidence that the accused remained a significant threat to public safety.

The Board ordered that the accused remain subject to a detention order with privileges including indirectly supervised access to the hospital grounds and accompanied access to the community.

The Ontario Review Board conducted an annual review of the accused's disposition following a finding of not criminally responsible for assault.

The accused, diagnosed with schizoaffective disorder, had been stable in hospital but struggled with a transition to supported community housing.

The Board accepted uncontradicted psychiatric evidence that the accused remained a significant threat to public safety due to ongoing delusional ideation and a history of medication non-compliance.

The Board maintained the detention order but removed a previous restriction on the accused's communication with his mother, finding it no longer necessary.

The Ontario Review Board conducted an annual review of the accused's Detention Disposition.

The accused, who was found not criminally responsible for armed robbery and other offences, suffers from schizoaffective disorder and continues to experience auditory hallucinations.

The Hospital and the Attorney General recommended continuing the Detention Disposition, while the accused sought a Conditional Discharge.

The Board found that the accused continues to pose a significant threat to public safety due to his fragile mental state, lack of insight, and refusal to optimize his medication.

The Board ordered the continuation of the Detention Disposition but added a clause permitting international travel with an approved person.

The Ontario Review Board held a hearing to review the restriction of liberty imposed on an NCR accused who was transferred from a general forensic unit to a secure forensic unit following an unprovoked assault on a nurse.

The Board found that the restriction of liberty was necessary, appropriate, and the least onerous and least restrictive measure both initially and throughout its duration, given the accused's ongoing unpredictable and assaultive behavior, including a subsequent assault on a recreational therapist.