2201 Finch Avenue West: the Toronto bail centre
If someone was arrested in Toronto and held for a bail hearing, this is where it happens. Not 10 Armoury Street.
What is heard here
When the Toronto criminal courthouse consolidated at 10 Armoury Street, adult bail hearings stayed at 2201 Finch Avenue West. This catches families out constantly: somebody is arrested overnight, the family goes downtown in the morning, and the hearing is happening in North York.
A bail hearing usually happens within 24 hours of arrest. That is not much time, and what is decided in it governs the months that follow: whether you go home, whether you can go home to a particular address, whether you can work, and who has to sign for you.
Detention is only justified on 3 grounds, set out in section 515(10) of the Criminal Code: making sure you come back to court, protecting the public, and maintaining confidence in the administration of justice. For most charges the Crown has to show why you should be held. For the charges listed in section 515(6) it reverses, and you have to show why you should not be.
The single most useful thing a family can do before the hearing is line up a surety and have that person ready. A surety is somebody who promises the court they will supervise you and pledges money if you breach. Courts look at whether they know about the charges, whether they can actually supervise, and whether the amount pledged means something to them.
If the hearing is happening here in the next day or so, what we do at a bail hearing sets out what we would need from you tonight and what we would be doing at 2201 Finch in the morning.
- Court
Adult bail hearings
- Address
2201 Finch Avenue West, Toronto, ON
Before you go
Small things that make a difficult morning less difficult.
Getting there
2201 Finch Avenue West is in North York, near Weston Road. It is a long way from downtown, so allow for the trip if you are coming from a Toronto address.
If you are going to be a surety
Bring photo identification, and be ready to explain what you do, what you earn, what you are prepared to pledge, and how you would actually supervise. Expect to be cross-examined on it.
What to bring for the accused
A confirmed address, proof of employment or schooling if there is any, and details of any treatment or counselling already arranged. A concrete plan beats a promise.
Call counsel before the hearing, not after
Bail is one of the few stages where preparation on the day genuinely changes the outcome, and it is very hard to undo a detention order later.
Questions about this courthouse
How quickly does a bail hearing happen?
Usually within 24 hours of arrest, so there is rarely much time to prepare. That is why the call should happen as soon as you know somebody has been held.
Who can be a surety?
Usually a family member or close friend with no criminal record, who lives close enough to supervise and can pledge an amount that means something. The court will test whether they understand the charges and could realistically supervise.
What if bail is refused?
A detention order can be reviewed in the Superior Court of Justice, and material circumstances that have changed since the hearing can be put before it. It is a harder road than getting bail right the first time.
Court information here is drawn from the Adult bail hearings. Addresses and sitting arrangements change, so check before you travel. Duty counsel at the courthouse are free, whatever you earn: see Legal Aid Ontario.
Written and reviewed by Rita Levin, criminal defence lawyer, called to the Ontario bar on 29 May 1998. Law Society of Ontario licence no. 41157R. Last reviewed .
Call before the date, not after it.
The first conversation costs nothing and tells you what the next fortnight has to look like.
We are a private practice and our fees reflect the work involved. A serious matter is prepared over months, and we keep our numbers low so each file gets the hours it needs. We will tell you what your case is likely to cost on the first call, before you commit to anything. And if the honest answer is that duty counsel, Legal Aid or another firm would serve you better, we will tell you that instead.