Asad Rai

The Ontario Review Board held an annual review hearing for an accused found not criminally responsible for assault with a weapon.

The accused, diagnosed with schizophrenia and substance use disorder, has a history of suicidal ideation and emotional dysregulation.

The treating psychiatrist testified that the accused remains a significant threat to public safety due to limited insight, emotional fragility, and risk of relapse.

The Board accepted the joint recommendation of the parties and concluded that the accused remains a significant threat to public safety.

The Board ordered the continuation of the current detention order with the same terms and conditions.

The Ontario Review Board held an annual review hearing for an accused found not criminally responsible for aggravated assault.

The accused, diagnosed with schizophrenia, had been living independently in the community but struggled with medication adherence, lack of motivation, and ongoing delusions.

The treating psychiatrist and all parties recommended continuing the conditional discharge.

The Board agreed, finding that the accused remains a significant threat to public safety and would likely decompensate without the external control and support provided by a conditional discharge.

The Ontario Review Board held a hearing to review two restrictions of liberty imposed on the accused, who was previously found NCR for various offences and resides in the community.

The hospital admitted the accused after suspecting he tampered with urine drug screens to conceal cannabis use.

The Board applied the Campbell framework and found that both hospital admissions constituted significant restrictions of liberty, but were necessary, appropriate, and the least restrictive interventions available to manage the accused's risk to public safety given his severe cannabis use disorder and history of violence.

The Ontario Review Board conducted a mandatory review of the conditional discharge of an accused found not criminally responsible for aggravated assault.

The accused sought an absolute discharge, arguing he had been stable in the community for years without violence.

The hospital and Crown sought a continuation of the conditional discharge, presenting psychiatric evidence that the accused's stability relied entirely on externally mandated medication, without which his severe persecutory delusions would return and escalate his risk of violence.

The Board found the accused remained a significant threat to public safety and ordered the continuation of the conditional discharge as the least onerous and least restrictive disposition.

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

The accused, who suffers from a seizure disorder and postictal psychosis, was detained at a forensic psychiatry program.

All parties agreed the accused remained a significant threat to public safety.

The Board considered whether to add a community living term to the detention order.

Applying the framework from Simonic, the Board found that granting community living privileges would serve a therapeutic purpose, motivate the accused's progress, and prevent waitlist prejudice.

The Board ordered the continuation of the detention order with amended terms permitting community living in supervised accommodation.

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

The accused, diagnosed with Bipolar 1 Disorder, had an exceptional year of psychiatric stability and abstinence while living in the community.

However, the Board accepted the hospital's recommendation that the accused requires additional time under reduced controls before an absolute discharge is appropriate.

The Board found the accused continues to represent a significant threat to public safety and ordered the continuation of the conditional discharge with amended, less restrictive terms.

The Ontario Review Board conducted an annual review for an accused found unfit to stand trial on weapons charges.

The accused's treating physician testified that despite treatment with clozapine, the accused remains unable to discuss the consequences of a trial.

The Board found the accused remains unfit to stand trial and ordered the continuation of a Detention Order at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health with privileges to live in the community in approved accommodation.

The accused, previously found not criminally responsible for violent offences, underwent an annual review of his Conditional Discharge by the Ontario Review Board.

The hospital, the Attorney General, and the accused jointly recommended continuing the Conditional Discharge, with the Attorney General requesting the removal of an address notification condition that conflicted with a residency requirement.

The Board accepted the joint recommendation, finding that the accused remains a significant threat to public safety but that the threat can be managed in the community with the modified Conditional Discharge.

The Ontario Review Board held a mandatory annual review hearing for an accused found not criminally responsible for multiple sexual assaults.

The accused, who has schizophrenia and an intellectual disability, has been residing in the community under a conditional discharge.

The Board found that the accused continues to represent a significant threat to the safety of the public due to his mental illness, intellectual deficits, and need for high-support supervision.

The Board ordered that the conditional discharge be continued as the necessary, appropriate, and least onerous disposition.

The accused, previously found not criminally responsible for assault police, appeared before the Ontario Review Board for an annual review of his conditional discharge.

The hospital and the Attorney General recommended maintaining the conditional discharge with a new travel condition, while the accused sought an absolute discharge.

The Board found that the accused continues to represent a significant threat to public safety due to his limited insight into his schizophrenia and the critical need for supervised clozapine administration to prevent psychotic relapse and violence.

The Board ordered the continuation of the conditional discharge with the hospital's recommended conditions.

The Ontario Review Board held an annual review hearing for an accused found not criminally responsible for aggravated assault.

The index offence involved a severe, unprovoked stabbing committed while the accused was experiencing substance-induced psychosis.

The Board found that the accused remains a significant threat to public safety due to his severe, long-standing substance use disorder and vulnerability to psychosis if he relapses.

However, noting his complete remission, full-time employment, and positive community reintegration, the Board agreed with the joint submission and expert evidence that a conditional discharge is the least onerous and least restrictive disposition necessary to protect the public.

The Ontario Review Board held a mandatory hearing to review the disposition of the accused, who was previously found not criminally responsible for indecent acts and sexual assault.

The accused's diagnoses included bipolar disorder and cannabis use disorder.

The Board found that the accused continued to pose a significant threat to public safety due to the risk of relapse in the context of medication non-adherence or substance use.

However, noting the accused's recent stability, adherence to treatment, and successful transition to community living, the Board concluded that a conditional discharge was the least onerous and least restrictive disposition necessary to manage the risk.

The Ontario Review Board held an annual review hearing for an accused found not criminally responsible for sexual assault.

The accused sought an absolute discharge, while the hospital and Crown sought a continuation of the detention disposition.

Despite recent stability in a high-support community residence, the Board found the accused continues to pose a significant threat to public safety due to his history of medication non-compliance, substance use, and sexually inappropriate behaviour.

The Board concluded that the current detention disposition remains necessary and appropriate to manage his risk and ensure ongoing psychiatric support.

The Ontario Review Board conducted an annual review for an accused found not criminally responsible for assault with a weapon.

The accused has diagnoses of schizophrenia and polysubstance use disorder.

Despite psychiatric stability, the accused had recurrent substance use and engaged in fraudulent financial behaviour.

The Board accepted the joint recommendation that the accused continues to pose a significant threat to public safety and ordered the continuation of the existing Detention Order.

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

The Board considered whether the accused remained a significant threat to public safety.

Relying on uncontroverted expert psychiatric evidence, the Board found that the accused's ongoing psychotic symptoms, stress management challenges, and lack of stable protective factors demonstrated a continued significant threat.

The Board ordered the continuation of the existing Detention Order.

The Ontario Review Board conducted an annual review of the disposition for an accused found not criminally responsible for assault and uttering threats.

The accused, who suffers from schizophrenia, had a successful year living in the community with support, remaining medication compliant and abstaining from substances.

However, due to his fragile mental health and risk of rapid decompensation if non-compliant with medication, the Board accepted the joint submission to maintain a Detention Order on a General Forensic Unit, with privileges up to and including community living.

The accused was found not criminally responsible on a charge of attempted murder after shooting a victim in the chest.

At the initial disposition hearing before the Ontario Review Board, all parties jointly recommended a detention order.

The Board accepted the psychiatric evidence that the accused remains a significant threat to public safety due to schizophrenia and substance use disorder.

The Board ordered the accused detained at the General Forensic Service of Ontario Shores with specified privileges and prohibitions.

The Ontario Review Board conducted an annual review for an accused found not criminally responsible for aggravated assault.

The accused suffers from treatment-resistant schizoaffective disorder and cannabis use disorder.

The treatment team testified that the accused remains a significant risk to the public, particularly in the context of substance use or medication non-compliance.

The Board accepted the joint submission of the parties, finding that the accused continues to pose a significant threat to public safety.

The Board ordered that the accused remain subject to a detention order with discretionary privileges, including community living in approved accommodation.

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

The accused had previously been found unfit to stand trial on charges of robbery.

Based on the evidence of the treating psychiatrist, the Board found that the accused remains unfit to stand trial due to treatment-refractory schizophrenia, which causes disorganized thoughts and delusional beliefs that impair his ability to instruct counsel.

However, the Board concluded he is not permanently unfit, as his medication is still being optimized.

The Board ordered the continuation of his detention at the hospital, but expanded his community pass privileges to include the Greater Toronto Area for therapeutic purposes.

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

The accused had recently gone AWOL and relapsed into substance use, leading to a restriction of liberty and readmission to the hospital.

The Board found that the restriction of liberty was necessary and appropriate, and that the accused remained a significant threat to public safety due to his major mental illness and polysubstance use disorder.

The Board ordered the continuation of the detention disposition, but granted a new privilege allowing a one-time, supervised trip to Ottawa to apply for a passport, with the condition that any issued passport be deposited with the hospital.