Criminal Conviction Review

The Criminal Code gives the Minister of Justice the power to review a conviction to determine whether there may have been a miscarriage of justice. This power has been part of Canada's justice system since the original Criminal Code of 1892. Today, the Minister's power to review convictions is set out in sections 696.1-696.6 in Part XXI.1 of the Criminal Code. The Regulations Respecting Applications for Ministerial Review-Miscarriages of Justice outline the requirements for an application as well as the procedure that is followed once an application has been completed. The Criminal Conviction Review Group (CCRG), is comprised of lawyers who assist the Minister in this function. They review and investigate the applications, and make recommendations to the Minister.

Applying for a Conviction Review

This area explains the basic principles of conviction review, the review process, and how to apply. It also includes the forms that applicants are required to complete in order to apply for a Criminal Conviction Review.

Annual Reports

The legislation requires the Minister of Justice to submit an annual report to Parliament which contains statistical as well as other information concerning the conviction review process.

• [2012]
• [2011]
• [2010]