Natalie C. MacDonald

The accused was found unfit to stand trial on charges of break and enter and uttering threats after forcing her way into a home she previously owned and threatening to kill the occupants.

At her initial Ontario Review Board hearing, the Board found she remained unfit to stand trial due to her Unspecified Schizophrenic Spectrum and Other Psychotic Disorder, which caused persistent delusions regarding home ownership and a lack of insight into her legal jeopardy.

The Board ordered her detention at the hospital with conditions, including a no-contact order with the victim, finding she posed a significant threat to public safety if released.

The Ontario Review Board held a hearing to review the restriction of liberty imposed on the accused, who had previously been found not criminally responsible for aggravated assault.

The accused was readmitted to the hospital after being charged with assault with a weapon while residing in a community group home.

The Board applied the Campbell framework and found that the significant restriction on the accused's liberties from his readmission to the hearing date was necessary, appropriate, and the least restrictive and least onerous intervention available, as his community residence required additional staffing before he could safely return.

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 conducted an early review of the accused's disposition following a finding of not criminally responsible for sexual assault.

The hospital requested the accused be transferred from a Secure Forensic Service to a General Forensic Service with community living privileges, noting his symptoms were in remission and he was compliant with medication.

The Board accepted the hospital's recommendation, finding the transfer and privileges necessary and appropriate while maintaining public safety.

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

The accused, previously found not criminally responsible for criminal harassment and failing to comply with conditions, suffers from schizophrenia and cannabis use disorder.

The Board found that the accused continues to represent a significant threat to public safety due to ongoing symptoms, lack of insight, and recent violent behaviour following cannabis use.

The Board ordered a hybrid Detention Disposition, maintaining internet restrictions but allowing for potential transfer to a general forensic unit.

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

The accused, diagnosed with schizoaffective disorder, had recently been non-compliant with his medication, requiring two hospital admissions to stabilize his mental state.

He demonstrated poor insight into his illness and the index offences, believing his condition could be treated with yoga and non-pharmacological means.

The Board accepted the psychiatric evidence that the accused remains a significant threat to public safety and ordered a continuation of his Detention Disposition at the hospital.

The Ontario Review Board conducted a Restriction of Liberty hearing after the accused, who had been living in the community, was readmitted to the hospital due to severe sleep disruption and increased paranoid beliefs.

The hospital and the Attorney General supported the readmission as the least onerous and least restrictive decision.

The accused's counsel did not contest the initial readmission but raised concerns about the level of passes granted.

The Board accepted the psychiatric evidence that the return to hospital was warranted and that the ongoing inpatient stay remained the least onerous and least restrictive decision available.

The Ontario Review Board conducted an annual review of the accused, who was previously found not criminally responsible for attempted murder.

The accused, diagnosed with schizophrenia, had been living independently in the community and was compliant with his medication.

The majority of the Board found that the accused continues to represent a significant threat to the safety of the public and ordered a conditional discharge, noting that he is early in his forensic care and needs to be tested in the community.

A dissenting minority would have granted an absolute discharge, finding no evidence of a significant threat.

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

The accused, diagnosed with schizophrenia and substance use disorders, had recently transitioned to high-support community housing and remained abstinent from substances.

However, psychiatric evidence indicated he continued to experience residual symptoms and expressed a desire to resume substance use, demonstrating poor insight into his risk factors.

The Board found that the accused remained a significant threat to public safety and ordered a continued Detention Disposition at the hospital to ensure adequate monitoring and support.

The Ontario Review Board held a hearing to review the conditional discharge of an accused found not criminally responsible for assault.

The accused sought an absolute discharge or, alternatively, the removal of alcohol and cannabis prohibitions from his conditions.

The hospital and Attorney General argued the accused remained a significant threat to public safety.

The Board found that the accused's schizophrenia, lack of insight, and substance use disorders made him a significant threat, noting recent behavioral deterioration and attempts to evade substance detection.

The majority maintained the conditional discharge with strict prohibitions on alcohol and cannabis, while a minority dissented regarding the alcohol prohibition.

The accused, who was found not criminally responsible for sexual assault in 2006, appeared before the Ontario Review Board for an annual review of his disposition.

The hospital and the Crown jointly recommended a Conditional Discharge, noting his successful transition to community living, medication compliance, and remission of his schizophrenia.

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

A Conditional Discharge was ordered.

The Ontario Review Board conducted an annual review of the disposition for an accused previously found not criminally responsible for assaulting a peace officer and other offences.

The hospital and the Attorney General agreed with the accused that he no longer posed a significant threat to public safety.

The Board accepted the unanimous clinical evidence that the accused was stable, compliant with treatment, and had excellent insight.

The Board ordered an absolute discharge.

The Ontario Review Board conducted an annual review for an accused previously found not criminally responsible for attempted murder.

The hospital and Crown sought a Detention Order, citing three recent hospital readmissions, medication non-compliance, and an incident where the accused vandalized several churches.

The accused requested an Absolute or Conditional Discharge.

Accepting the hospital's evidence, the Board found the accused remains a significant threat to public safety and ordered his detention at a General Forensic Service with weekly reporting requirements, declining to impose a nighttime curfew.

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

The hospital and the Attorney General sought to continue the detention order with an expanded 150-kilometre radius for community living, while the accused requested an amendment to permit cannabis use.

The Board found the accused remained a significant threat to public safety, granted the expanded community living radius on consent, and denied the request to permit cannabis use, noting it played a significant role in the index offences.

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

The accused, who was previously found not criminally responsible for uttering threats, did not attend the hearing.

The hospital, the Attorney General, and the accused's counsel jointly recommended continuing the existing Detention Order.

The Board accepted the psychiatric evidence that the accused remains a significant threat to public safety due to her mental health history, index offences, and a prior arson conviction.

The Board ordered the continuation of the Detention Order with the exact terms set out in the previous year's disposition.

The Ontario Review Board held an annual review hearing for an accused found not criminally responsible for threatening death and criminal harassment.

The accused, diagnosed with schizoaffective disorder, continued to experience erotomanic delusions and disinhibition, and presented an ongoing elopement risk.

Relying on the hospital's evidence, the Board found that the accused remained a significant threat to the safety of the public.

The Board ordered the continuation of the existing Detention Disposition, noting that a fully supported accommodation such as a long-term care facility would be required upon any future discharge.

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.

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

The accused, diagnosed with treatment-resistant schizophrenia, had a positive reporting year with no violence, substance use, or medication non-compliance.

All parties agreed the accused remained a significant threat to public safety and supported continuing the detention disposition with expanded community pass privileges, including international travel to Sri Lanka to visit family.

The Board found the accused remained a significant threat and ordered the continuation of the detention disposition with the requested amendments, noting the accused was ready for discharge to supported community housing once available.

The Ontario Review Board held a hearing to review the disposition of the accused, who was previously found not criminally responsible for armed robbery and other offences.

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

The Board found that the accused continues to pose a significant threat to public safety due to his fragile schizoaffective disorder, ongoing auditory hallucinations, limited insight, and refusal to optimize his medication.

The Board concluded that a Conditional Discharge was inappropriate as the hospital needed to maintain strict supervision to manage his risk of violence.

The Detention Disposition was continued, with the addition of a clause permitting international travel to Jamaica with an approved person.

The accused, previously found not criminally responsible for attempt murder and designated a high risk accused, appeared for an annual review hearing before the Ontario Review Board.

The hospital and Crown jointly submitted that the current disposition be maintained, with an added 200-metre perimeter restriction from the parents' home and workplace.

The accused's counsel agreed but requested the Board refer the high risk accused designation to the Superior Court for review.

The Board accepted the joint submission, finding the accused remains a significant threat to public safety due to ongoing symptoms of schizophrenia and lack of full insight.

The Board declined to refer the high risk accused designation for review, concluding there was not a substantial likelihood that the accused would not use violence endangering others.