A Guide to Toronto's Criminal Courts

Updated 27 October 2026

Most criminal cases in Toronto run through three buildings. Adult bail hearings are held at the Toronto Regional Bail Centre, 2201 Finch Avenue West. The case then moves to the Ontario Court of Justice at 10 Armoury Street, where most cases are resolved or tried. Murder cases, jury trials and Superior Court trials are heard at 361 University Avenue.

Robb MacDonald is a Toronto criminal lawyer who has defended clients in these courts for more than 20 years and is in court about five days a week. His office is at 130 Spadina Ave. #606, close to both downtown courthouses. This page explains the courts themselves, so that anyone charged in Toronto, and their family, knows where they are going and why.

Which Toronto courthouse will my case be heard in?

Addresses from the Ontario court locations directory (ontario.ca) and the Ontario Court of Justice and Superior Court of Justice location pages, checked 27 October 2026.

The Ontario Court of Justice is the provincial court. Almost every criminal case in Toronto starts there, and most finish there. The Superior Court of Justice tries the most serious cases, including every murder case, and any case where the accused chooses a jury.

What happened to Old City Hall and the other courthouses?

Between March and May 2023, Ontario moved six Ontario Court of Justice criminal locations into the new Toronto courthouse at 10 Armoury Street:

• Old City Hall, 60 Queen Street West;
• College Park, 444 Yonge Street;
• 1000 Finch Avenue West;
• 2201 Finch Avenue West;
• Scarborough, 1911 Eglinton Avenue East; and
• 311 Jarvis Street, for youth criminal matters.

The 2201 Finch Avenue West building stayed open as the Toronto Regional Bail Centre. None of the others hears criminal cases now. If an older document, article or website sends you to Old City Hall or the Scarborough courthouse, go by the address on your own release paperwork or court notice instead, and if in doubt, ask your lawyer.

Where are bail hearings held in Toronto?

A person arrested and held by police must be brought before a justice within 24 hours, or as soon as possible if no justice is available, under section 503. For adults charged in Toronto, that means the Toronto Regional Bail Centre at 2201 Finch Avenue West, which also sits on weekends and statutory holidays. The accused may appear in person or, where the justice allows, by video.

On most charges the Crown has to show why detention is justified. On reverse-onus charges, such as a loaded handgun, choking in an assault, or a new indictable charge while already on release for another, the accused must show why detention is not justified, and since 15 July 2026 must do it by clearly demonstrating that the proposed release plan addresses the risks. A detained person is held on remand, usually at one of Toronto's provincial detention centres: Toronto South in Etobicoke or Toronto East in Scarborough.

Two kinds of bail hearing happen at 361 University Avenue instead. Bail on a murder charge can only be granted by a Superior Court judge, under section 522. And if a detained person's trial has not started within 90 days, a Superior Court judge reviews the detention under section 525.

Our bail hearing page explains how release is decided.

Our guide to how bail works in Ontario is written for families and sureties.

What happens at a first appearance at 10 Armoury Street?

The first court date after release is a case management appearance. It is mostly administrative: the Crown provides initial disclosure, the accused confirms they have a lawyer or are getting one, and the case is adjourned to a date when the defence has had time to review the evidence. No one is expected to plead guilty or not guilty that day.

Under the Ontario Court of Justice's practice, unless a judicial officer directs otherwise, an accused and their lawyer can attend criminal case management court either in person or by Zoom. The Zoom details for each courtroom are posted on the court's 10 Armoury Street page. That option does not cover bail hearings, trials, preliminary inquiries, guilty pleas or sentencings.

An accused can also file a designation of counsel under section 650.01, which lets their lawyer appear on their behalf for most steps without the accused being there. Missing a required court date without a lawful excuse is a separate offence under section 145 and usually leads to a warrant, so if you cannot attend, speak to your lawyer before the date, not after.

How does a Toronto case move from first appearance to trial?

1. Disclosure. The Crown must give the defence the relevant evidence it has, including police notes, statements, video and forensic reports. In serious cases disclosure arrives in stages.
2. Crown pre-trial. The defence meets the assigned Crown to discuss the evidence, the Crown's position and any possible resolution, such as a withdrawal, a peace bond, diversion or a plea to a lesser charge.
3. Judicial pre-trial. A judge meets privately with the Crown and defence to narrow the issues, estimate how long a trial would take and test whether the case can resolve.
4. Resolution or trial date. If the case does not resolve, it is set down for trial, or for a preliminary inquiry first where one is available.
5. Trial. In the Ontario Court of Justice, a judge sits alone. In the Superior Court, a judge sits alone or with a jury.

The time this takes matters. In R. v. Jordan, 2016 SCC 27, the Supreme Court set presumptive ceilings of 18 months from charge to the end of trial in the Ontario Court of Justice and 30 months in the Superior Court, excluding delay caused by the defence. Since July 2026, a court that finds unreasonable delay can stay the charge only where no other remedy would be appropriate and just, under section 492.31. Our judicial process page covers each step in more detail.

Will my case stay in the Ontario Court of Justice or go to the Superior Court?

That depends on the charge and, often, on a choice the accused makes.

• Summary offences, and hybrid offences where the Crown proceeds summarily, stay in the Ontario Court of Justice and are tried by a judge alone. Most simple assault, mischief and theft under $5,000 cases are in this group.
• Indictable offences usually give the accused a choice, called an election, under section 536: a trial by an Ontario Court judge, or by a Superior Court judge alone or with a jury. If the offence carries 14 years or more, either side can ask for a preliminary inquiry before a Superior Court trial. The preliminary inquiry itself is held at 10 Armoury Street.
• Murder and the other offences in section 469 can only be tried in the Superior Court, and only by a jury unless both the accused and the Attorney General agree to a judge alone.

The election is one of the most important decisions in a serious case, because it decides who will hear the evidence and whether there is a chance to cross-examine the Crown's witnesses before trial. Our article on firearm charges shows how the Crown's election and the accused's election interact in practice.

Are there specialized criminal courts in Toronto?

Yes. The Ontario Court of Justice runs several at 10 Armoury Street, including mental health court, Gladue court for Indigenous accused, drug treatment court and youth court. Intimate partner violence cases have their own case management courtroom there.

For families with both a criminal charge and a family court case, the Integrated Domestic Violence Court lets one judge hear both. Its family side sits at 47 Sheppard Avenue East or 311 Jarvis Street, and its criminal side at 10 Armoury Street. Whether a case belongs in one of these courts depends on the charge and the person, and is worth raising with a lawyer early, because some lead to outcomes that a regular courtroom cannot offer.

Youth criminal cases are also heard at 10 Armoury Street under the Youth Criminal Justice Act. Our young offender page explains how they differ.

How do I get to the downtown courthouses?

10 Armoury Street and 361 University Avenue are a short walk apart, just north of Osgoode Hall. Both are close to Osgoode and St Patrick stations on Line 1, on University Avenue at Queen Street and at Dundas Street. Court offices are open Monday to Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Allow time for security screening at the entrance, and arrive before the time on your notice.

Charges laid outside the city are heard in that region's own courthouse. Robb also defends clients in Brampton, Milton and Oshawa, and Scarborough cases are covered on our Scarborough page.

Charges Robb defends in the Toronto courts

Robb defends the full range of criminal charges in Toronto, from a first-time shoplifting allegation to first-degree murder, and the charges he handles most often are listed beside this guide. Judges have praised his work, and other lawyers have hired him for their own defence. He earned his J.D. at Queen's University in 2006, was called to the Ontario bar in 2007, trained under Edward Greenspan QC, and is a two-time provincial advocacy champion (Arnup Cup, OTLA Cup).

In R. v. Kidane, an armed robbery tried before a jury in the Superior Court in 2013, three Toronto police officers testified that they watched the robbery from a surveillance van. Robb's cross-examination exposed inconsistencies in their accounts, and the jury acquitted on all charges. Past results do not guarantee future outcomes.

Read the full R. v. Kidane case result.

More outcomes are on the case results page.

If you have been charged in Toronto, or police want to speak to you, call (416) 315-1505 before you say anything. Robb answers day and night, and consultations are free and confidential.