Michael Feindel

The Ontario Review Board held an initial disposition hearing for the accused, who was found not criminally responsible for second-degree murder.

The accused, diagnosed with schizophrenia and a substance use disorder, had been detained at CAMH.

The Board accepted the joint recommendation of the parties, supported by the treating psychiatrist's evidence, that the accused remains a significant threat to public safety.

A Detention Order was issued directing the accused's detention on a General Forensic Unit with specified privileges and prohibitions, without overnight passes.

The accused, previously found not criminally responsible for arson, had his annual review before the Ontario Review Board.

He suffers from schizophrenia and neurocognitive disorder, and requires significant care.

He was readmitted to the hospital after failing in supportive housing due to aggressive behaviour and unsafe smoking habits.

The Board accepted the uncontroverted psychiatric evidence that he continues to pose a significant threat to public safety and ordered his continued detention at the hospital.

The Ontario Review Board conducted an annual review hearing for the accused, who was previously found not criminally responsible for two counts of robbery.

The Board considered expert evidence indicating that while the accused had shown improved stability and medication adherence, he continued to pose a significant threat to public safety due to his primary psychotic disorder and history of substance use.

The Board ordered the continuation of the existing Detention Order with amendments agreed upon by the parties.

The Ontario Review Board conducted an annual review of the disposition for an accused found not criminally responsible for criminal harassment.

The accused, diagnosed with schizophrenia, was residing in a supervised community facility and no longer receiving electroconvulsive therapy.

The hospital and the Attorney General jointly recommended an absolute discharge.

Applying the Winko standard, the Board found that the accused lacked the physical ability to cause significant harm and no longer represented a significant threat to public safety.

An absolute discharge was granted.

The Ontario Review Board conducted an annual review and a Restriction of Liberty hearing for an accused found not criminally responsible for assault.

The hospital had transferred the accused to a higher security unit following unprovoked assaults on staff and co-patients.

The Board found that the restriction of liberty was warranted and necessary due to the accused's unpredictable violence driven by impulsivity and autism-related deficits.

The Board concluded the accused remains a significant threat to public safety and ordered the continuation of the Detention Order.

The Board declined to remove the requirement for supervised accommodation but removed the condition requiring abstinence from alcohol and drugs, finding it clinically unnecessary.

The accused was previously found not criminally responsible for uttering death threats and was subject to a detention order at a psychiatric hospital.

At the annual review hearing, the Review Board considered whether the accused continued to pose a significant threat to public safety.

Relying on uncontroverted expert psychiatric evidence, the Board found that the accused's history of rapid relapse, polysubstance use, and psychotic symptomatology necessitated ongoing supervision.

The Board concluded that the accused remained a significant threat and ordered the continuation of the existing detention order.

The accused, previously found unfit to stand trial on charges including assault and obstructing a peace officer, appeared before the Ontario Review Board for a fitness hearing.

Following treatment with antipsychotic medications at the hospital, her mental status significantly improved.

Based on the joint submission of the parties and the psychiatric evidence, the Board found the accused fit to stand trial and remitted her matter back to court for adjudication.

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

The accused sought an absolute discharge, while the hospital and Attorney General sought a continuation of the detention order.

Relying on uncontroverted expert psychiatric evidence, the Board found that the accused continues to pose a significant threat to public safety due to a severe alcohol use disorder and organic brain injury, which predictably lead to aggression and violence when intoxicated.

The Board concluded that the necessary and appropriate disposition was to continue the detention order, as the accused requires a highly supervised environment to maintain abstinence and medication adherence.

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

The accused, diagnosed with schizophrenia, had been residing in the community without incident, maintaining medication compliance, and demonstrating good insight into his illness.

The treatment team, supported by all parties, recommended an absolute discharge.

Applying the test from Winko, the Board found the accused no longer posed a significant threat to public safety and granted an absolute discharge.

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

The accused, who has schizophrenia and an intellectual disability, had a stable year in the community with consistent medication compliance but exhibited profound negative symptoms and minimal insight into his illness.

The Board accepted the uncontroverted evidence of the hospital's representative that the accused continues to pose a significant threat to public safety, as he would likely become non-compliant with medication and decompensate without the Board's oversight.

The Board ordered that the accused's conditional discharge be maintained without changes.

The Ontario Review Board held a hearing to review the disposition of an accused found not criminally responsible for second-degree murder and attempted murder due to a cannabis-induced psychotic disorder.

The hospital and the Attorney General argued that the accused remained a significant threat and sought a conditional discharge, citing concerns about potential relapse under stress.

The Board found that the accused had been free of psychosis and abstinent from cannabis for several years, maintained stable housing and employment, and pursued education.

Concluding that the risk of reoffending was speculative and unsupported by evidence, the Board found the accused no longer posed a significant threat to public safety and ordered an absolute discharge.

The Ontario Review Board held an annual review hearing for an accused found not criminally responsible for assault and failing to comply with probation.

The hospital recommended maintaining the current Detention Disposition, citing concerns over the accused's housing stability and inappropriate social behaviours.

The Attorney General and the accused supported a Conditional Discharge with additional terms.

The Board found that the accused continues to pose a significant threat to public safety but concluded that a Conditional Discharge with a specified residence and a consent to treatment clause was the necessary and appropriate disposition, as the hospital's concerns regarding eviction and readmission were speculative.

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

The accused, diagnosed with schizophrenia, remained treatment resistant but showed some improvement with medication adjustments.

The Board accepted the joint position and the uncontroverted psychiatric evidence that the accused continues to pose a significant threat to public safety.

The Board ordered a continuation of the detention disposition at the hospital, with added privileges for indirectly supervised community access and community living in supervised accommodation to motivate her rehabilitation.

The Ontario Review Board conducted an annual review and a Restriction of Liberty (ROL) hearing for an accused found not criminally responsible.

The accused had her pass privileges drastically reduced by the hospital after a single relapse into substance use, and the hospital failed to provide a timely ROL notice.

The Board continued the Detention Order, finding the accused remained a significant threat to public safety, but strongly criticized the hospital for failing to provide timely notice and for automatically reducing privileges in a manner that ignored the accused's liberty interests.

The Ontario Review Board conducted an annual review and a Restriction of Liberty hearing for an accused found unfit to stand trial on a charge of sexual assault.

The hospital had restricted the accused's liberty by readmitting him to re-stabilize his medication after he decompensated in the community.

The Board found the restriction of liberty was necessary and appropriate.

Applying the test from R. v. Bharwani, the Board concluded the accused remains permanently unfit to stand trial due to severe schizophrenia and thought disorder.

The Board further found the accused continues to pose a significant threat to public safety and ordered the continuation of his Detention Order.

The Ontario Review Board held a mandatory annual review hearing for an accused found not criminally responsible for assault causing bodily harm.

The accused, diagnosed with schizophrenia and polysubstance abuse disorder, had been living in the community subject to a conditional discharge.

The treatment team reported a stable year with no readmissions, negative drug screens, and good medication compliance, though the accused continued to experience psychotic symptoms.

The Board accepted the joint submission of the parties and the uncontradicted expert evidence that the accused remains a significant threat to public safety due to his limited insight and risk of decompensation if unsupervised.

The Board ordered the continuation of the conditional discharge with all existing conditions, including a consent to treatment clause and absolute abstinence from intoxicants.

The Ontario Review Board held an annual review hearing for an accused found not criminally responsible for attempted murder due to schizophrenia.

The Board found that the accused continues to represent a significant threat to public safety, as he would likely disengage from services and become non-compliant with medication without external monitoring.

However, noting his progress, medication adherence, and abstinence from substances in the community, the Board ordered a conditional discharge as the least onerous and least restrictive disposition.

The accused was found not criminally responsible (NCR) for assault with a weapon and was detained pending an initial disposition by the Ontario Review Board.

The Board held a hearing to determine whether the accused posed a significant threat to public safety and the appropriate disposition.

Relying on expert psychiatric evidence, the Board found that the accused's limited insight into his schizophrenia, ongoing psychotic symptoms, and high risk of substance relapse rendered him a significant threat.

The Board ordered a Detention Order at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, with conditions including abstinence from non-prescribed substances and a weapons prohibition.

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

The accused, diagnosed with schizophrenia and neurocognitive disorder, resides in a secure long-term care facility.

The Board found that the accused continues to pose a significant threat to public safety due to his history of violence when unmedicated, lack of insight, and cognitive decline.

The Board ordered the continuation of the detention disposition, allowing the hospital to maintain authority over his accommodation and facilitate rapid readmission if necessary, with minor amendments to allow escorted access to the Greater Toronto Area.

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

The accused, who has schizophrenia and a history of substance abuse, had recently eloped from the hospital for six months, during which he stopped his medication and relapsed into substance use.

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

The Board ordered that the accused remain detained at the hospital with privileges up to and including living in the community in approved supervised accommodation.