Re Ange Nawej, 2026 CanLII 18236

Re: Ange Nawej

ORB File No: 7261

Hearing held on: Friday, December 19, 2025

Place of hearing: Centre for Addiction and Mental Health

Pursuant to: Section 672.81(1) of the Criminal Code

Before:

Alternate Chairperson: Ms. S. Kert

Members: Dr. T. Verny

Dr. G. Nexhipi

Hon. C. Nelson

Mr. W. Apted

Parties Appearing:

Accused: Ange Nawej

Counsel: Mr. M. Schloss

The person in charge of hospital: Counsel: Mr. D. Blumenkrans

Attorney General of Ontario: Counsel: Ms. S. Cressman

REASONS FOR DISPOSITION

(Dated March 4, 2026)

Overview

1. On November 22, 2017, Ange Nawej was found not criminally responsible on account of mental disorder (“NCR”) of assault with a weapon, contrary to the Criminal Code. Mr. Nawej is now subject to a disposition of the Ontario Review Board dated January 24, 2025, detaining him at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health – Forensic Service (“CAMH”), and permitting him privileges up to living in the community of the Greater Toronto Area in approved accommodation.

2. On December 19, 2025, the Board convened at CAMH for a mandatory review hearing of the disposition further to s. 672.81(1) of the Criminal Code. At the time of the hearing Mr. Nawej was on a forensic general unit, where he has been since May 2024. On September 25, 2025, Mr. Nawej was transferred from Forensic General Unit A (FGUA) to Forensic General Unit D (FGUD).

3. The issue before the Board was to determine whether Mr. Nawej continues to pose a significant threat to the safety of the public and, if so, to determine the necessary and appropriate disposition for him consistent with the factors set out in s. 672.54 of the Criminal Code. Mr. Nawej was not present at the hearing. Mr. Schloss, his counsel, advised the Board that he had instructions from Mr. Nawej to proceed. Mr. Schloss indicated that his client was absent because he might have found the evidence upsetting. Neither the hospital nor the Crown objected. Mr. Nawej was, therefore, excused from the hearing pursuant to s. 672.5(10)(a) of the Criminal Code.

Initial Position of the Parties

4. The hospital submitted that the necessary and appropriate Disposition to manage Mr. Nawej’s risk continues to be a Detention Order at the Forensic Service of the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health, Toronto (“CAMH”) with privileges up to living in the community of the Greater Toronto Area in accommodation approved by the person in charge and under the same terms as in last year’s Disposition. The Crown supported the hospital, as did Mr. Schloss. Mr. Schloss advised the Board that he would not be contesting the issue of significant threat.

Findings

5. After reviewing the evidence, the Board concluded that Mr. Nawej continues to represent a significant threat to the safety of the public and that his risk is best managed by not changing last year’s Disposition.

Personal Background

6. The Hospital Report dated November 10, 2025, was entered as an exhibit at the hearing. The following background information, including the events surrounding the 2017 index offence, has been taken from the Report, summarized here as follows.

7. Both Mr. Nawej and the victim were patients at the North Bay Regional Health Centre. Mr. Nawej had been admitted a few days earlier. On July 17, 2017, Mr. Nawej approached a patient in the Psychiatric Intensive Care Unit and assaulted her by punching her multiple times and he attempted to stab her with a pencil resulting in a minor injury to the victim. Hospital staff intervened. He was controlled through chemical restraint.

8. Mr. Nawej is 26 years old, born in Toronto. He is unmarried and has no dependents. His family relocated to North Bay when he was 4 years old. At the age of 10, due to concerns about his friendship with a negative peer group, he moved with his mother and sister to Toronto. Within a year, after showing improved behaviour, they returned to North Bay. Following this, he started facing difficulties in school, including alcohol use and suspected marijuana use. At this time, he was noted to be argumentative, defiant, and disrespectful. When he was 14 years old, Mr. Nawej was stabbed in a fight, prompting his mother to take him to Zambia for a few months to shield him from harmful influences. Upon returning, they settled in Guelph. He then switched to four different high schools in a single semester. Later, he lived with a cousin in Brampton but was eventually asked to move out. He then relocated to Toronto, where he experienced periods of homelessness. In December 2015, he returned to North Bay.

9. Mr. Nawej previously volunteered at a soup kitchen and worked at a fur auction for one summer. He was employed at a communications company from December 7 to 31, 2020 but chose not to renew his contract. He then worked part-time at a business supply company for a period of a few months in 2021, which he believes ended due to his not meeting sales expectations for extended warranties. He has not been employed since then.

10. A records check of the Canadian Police Information Centre database showed that Mr. Nawej has no criminal convictions. However, he was previously charged with assault with a weapon, but the charge was withdrawn as part of a mental health diversion program.

Psychiatric Background

11. The psychiatric background information is contained in the Hospital Report. Mr. Nawej's mental health issues began to surface in 2016.

12. Around April 2016, after three admissions to the North Bay Regional Health Centre (NBRHC) for re-emergence of psychotic symptoms (due to medication non-adherence or substance use), Mr. Nawej was placed under a Community Treatment Order and received ongoing support from an outpatient psychiatric team. His condition improved over time, and he consented to take his medication. Given his overall improvement, the Order was allowed to lapse in June 2017, after which he stopped his medication and quickly experienced a decline in his mental health. He was readmitted to the NBRHC on July 13, 2017, due to concerns about psychosis. Two days later he assaulted his father during a visit on the unit. The index offence occurred just days after that.

13. Following the finding of NCR in respect of the index offence, Mr. Nawej was admitted to the Forensic Assessment Unit at Waypoint Centre for Mental Health Care on November 29, 2017. After his initial hearing by the Board, he was moved to the Waypoint Beckwith program on February 13, 2018. This offered a highly structured environment for individuals facing mental instability and behavioural issues. On October 1, 2018, he was transferred to the Beausoleil program (a less structured high-security facility with enhanced privileges). Subsequently, on February 21, 2019, he moved to North Bay Regional Health Centre. On October 5, 2020, Mr. Nawej was discharged to a transitional housing program in North Bay (Maplewood House), where he stayed, until his transfer to the forensic outpatient program at CAMH on July 19, 2022.

14. After his annual review hearing on February 17, 2023, he received a Conditional Discharge. Shortly afterwards, while living in the community, he ceased taking his antipsychotic medication and experienced a mental health decline, leading to his hospital readmission on April 25, 2023. His initial stay was marked by significant behavioural issues and violence, requiring extended periods in locked seclusion. His mental health improved a few months later, and he was ultimately moved to a less secure setting.

15. Mr. Nawej’s current psychiatric diagnoses are Schizophrenia and Cannabis Use Disorder (in sustained remission, in a controlled setting). Mr. Nawej has been found incapable of making decisions about his medical treatment, but he is capable of managing his finances independently. His substitute decision maker is his father. He receives financial assistance from the Ontario Disability Support Program.

Evidence at the Hearing

16. The evidence at the hearing was given by Dr. S. Darani. The Hospital Report dated November 10, 2025, was made Exhibit 1.

17. Dr. Darani testified that Mr. Nawej had been transferred from Forensic General Unit A where he had been living since May 2024, to Forensic General Unit D on September 29, 2025, in the hope that a change of environment and a new team would result in his increased engagement. On November 27, he was transferred to another forensic unit solely for administrative reasons.

18. Mr. Nawej had a challenging year owing to his almost total disengagement from rehabilitative and therapeutic programming. This may have been due to depression. He stopped providing urine drug screens beginning on January 3, 2025, contrary to his Disposition. He stated that they were unnecessary.

19. Mr. Nawej continued to exhibit psychiatric instability with intermittent thought disorganization and residual delusional thoughts. Even after submitting to long-acting injectable medication, Mr. Nawej experienced fluctuations in his mental status. At times, he presented as guarded and flat and at other times euphoric and disengaged. He made sexual comments towards female staff. He declined all blood work investigation.

20. In January 2025, as a result of his refusal of urine drug screens, his passes were reduced to Level 0 (courtyard access only). At the time of the hearing, he had only moved to Level 1 passes which he uses sparingly.

21. The team hopes that, in the coming year, he will engage with them so as to allow progression up the pass ladder. The team will also try to encourage engagement in rehabilitative programming. It is further hoped that the change to long-acting injectable medication will improve Mr. Nawej’s mental status.

22. In answer to questions from Mr. Schloss, Dr. Darani indicated that the recent transfer of Mr. Nawej to a different Forensic General Unit might be of some value in terms of engagement but there has not been much progress yet. Mr. Nawej generally complies with his injections but requires encouragement and needs security present. The team thinks that he might be upset with it as a result of the change from oral to injectable medication.

23. Mr. Nawej is subject to a behavioural plan but to date, he has not participated in it. While his father is his Substitute Decision Maker, Dr. Darani stated that Mr. Nawej has been historically upset with his father.

24. In answer to a question from a Board member, Dr. Darani also advised that Mr. Nawej’s care, now that he has been moved to a different unit, has been transferred to Dr. A. Jaiswal.

25. No further evidence was called.

Submissions

26. The parties maintained their initial positions on the joint submission that there be no changes to last year’s Disposition.

Conclusion

27. Based on the evidence presented at the hearing, the Board finds that Mr. Nawej continues to represent a significant threat to the safety of the public. Mr. Nawej has a diagnosis of schizophrenia that may be treatment resistant. His condition is exacerbated by cannabis use.

28. Mr. Nawej’s risk for violent recidivism remains in the relatively high range. Although he is generally compliant with his injectable medication administration, there are serious and ongoing concerns regarding his mental status and his limited insight. Mr. Nawej suffers from a severe mental illness and has demonstrated difficulty adhering to treatment and supervision. He has displayed substance induced psychotic symptoms, particularly when using cannabis, and his insight around this remains poor. These concerns were evident during the current reporting period, as he demonstrated potential noncompliance with medication and a severe lack of awareness regarding his psychotic deterioration that led to a marked decline in his mental state. We find that, although Mr. Nawej is generally compliant with his medication, this must be considered together with the fact that he is not capable of making treatment decisions. But for the consent of his substitute decision maker, his past psychiatric history indicates that he was consistently nonadherent to his prescribed psychiatric medications. There is a likelihood that he will discontinue his medication if not monitored with the necessary level of oversight moving forward – intensive monitoring provided in a hospital setting, without which Mr. Nawej’s mental condition would likely have worsened further.

29. Mr. Nawej continues to experience brief episodes of psychotic relapses, occasionally refuses his antipsychotic treatment, and is completely disengaged from programming. He has no accommodation outside of the hospital and, therefore, requires management. If discharged, the hospital will need to respond to early signs of decompensation and will also need to approve housing where structure and supervision will be required to ensure medication compliance. As a result, the Board agrees that a Detention Order on the same terms as last year’s Disposition is the necessary and appropriate Disposition.

30. In arriving at our conclusion for the appropriate disposition, the Board has considered the paramount factor of the safety of the public, Mr. Nawej’s community reintegration, his mental condition, and his other needs, all as required by s. 672.54 of the Code.

DATED this 4^th day of March, 2026, at the City of Toronto, in the Toronto Region.

Hon. C. Nelson

Legal Member

__________________

Office of the Registrar

Ontario Review Board