Appendix 3: Sample letter

[date]

WITHOUT PREJUDICE

Crown Counsel
[add local courthouse address]

Dear Sir/​Madam:

Re: Rex (the Crown) v. [your name]
 Criminal charge: [write what you’re charged with]

Court file #: [put in number from Information form]

I am the person named above and I am representing myself. According to section 7 of the Charter of Rights and Freedoms, I am entitled to receive information about my case. Please send me the following [if your trial will be conducted in French, write ​“translated in French” here]:

• A copy of the Information setting out the charge against me.
• A copy of any search warrant used in this matter, together with a copy of the information used to obtain the search warrant.
• A copy of any statement, confession, or admission allegedly made by me, whether written or oral, written down or summarized in police reports that the Crown has, has access to, knows about, or could find out about. This includes statements related to this case made to witnesses other than police officers at any time.
• Copies of written statements of anyone interviewed by the Crown or its agents in connection with this matter, whether or not the Crown intends to call them as witnesses in this case.
• The names of any witnesses the Crown intends to call in this case, including those who’ll be either paid to testify or will receive some other benefit from the Crown in exchange for their testimony, and what that benefit will be.
• A copy of any alleged criminal record of mine and the criminal records of anyone the Crown plans to call as witnesses in this case.
• A copy of the Crown’s initial sentencing position.
• Any material the Crown now has or obtains in the future from any source that could contradict the testimony of Crown witnesses, be favourable to me, become the foundation of a Charter rights argument, or affect the punishment.

I would appreciate receiving this information as soon as possible so that I can prepare for the trial.

Yours truly,

[your signature]