Chris Dwornikiewicz

The appellant, who was found not criminally responsible for attempted murder, appealed a disposition of the Ontario Review Board ordering his continued detention.

He argued the Board unreasonably found he posed a significant threat to public safety, applied the wrong legal test, and acted unfairly by copying portions of its reasons from a previous year's hearing.

The Court of Appeal dismissed the appeal, finding that the evidence of the appellant's treatment-resistant schizophrenia, lack of insight, and recent aggressive behaviour supported the significant threat finding.

While the Board's copying of previous reasons was ill-advised, the reasons as a whole demonstrated a firm grasp of the current evidence and did not warrant a new hearing.

The appellant, a police officer, was convicted of assault and assault with a weapon after using excessive force against an intoxicated complainant during an arrest.

His appeal to the summary conviction appeal court was dismissed.

He sought leave to appeal to the Court of Appeal, arguing that the lower courts erred in their application of the justification defence under section 25(1) of the Criminal Code.

The Court of Appeal dismissed the application for leave, finding no error of law and concluding that the proposed appeal did not raise an unsettled question of law of public importance.

The appellant appealed a disposition of the Ontario Review Board that revoked his transfer to a less secure hospital and maintained him at a secure facility.

The Board's decision was based on the appellant's surprise attack on a co-patient, which changed his risk profile.

The Court of Appeal dismissed the appeal, finding that the Board's conclusion reasonably supported the revocation and that maintaining the appellant at the secure facility was the least onerous and restrictive disposition.