Saskatchewan Criminal Defence Lawyers

We are a dedicated team of criminal defence lawyers in Saskatchewan with office locations in both Regina and Saskatoon. Each of our lawyers have diverse backgrounds ranging from working in the Crown Prosecutor’s office to the Ministry of Justice to Legal Aid.

When you retain one of our lawyers, you have behind you the knowledge and expertise of our entire firm.

When you are charged with a criminal offence, you may not know how to proceed in order to avoid an entry on your criminal record. Our firm can assist you in navigating this process, which can be difficult for those who are not armed with the expertise of a criminal defence lawyer.

The criminal justice system can be complex and bureaucratic. There may be legal jargon you need to parse through, a slew of paperwork that must be completed, and police and correctional officers that will require your cooperation.

If you are considered a suspect in a criminal investigation or you have been detained by police, you will need a diligent lawyer who is not only knowledgeable in law but who understands how to communicate effectively and who can be the best advocate for you.

It is not enough for a lawyer to be well versed in black-letter law. You need someone who is dedicated to advocacy. Our lawyers at Oykhman Criminal Defence in Saskatchewan each have their own approach to advocacy (which you can find under their profiles on our homepage) and are committed to accommodating the best interests of their clients.

Oykhman Criminal Defence in Saskatchewan focuses exclusively on criminal defence. This means that we have lawyers who have dedicated their entire careers to understanding the ins and outs of criminal law and who are particularly qualified in this area of law.

In other words, we are not generalists. We have homed in on criminal law and are continuously upgrading our skills in this field. We are particularly adept at detecting nuances in the law as new legislation is enacted.

This will be of benefit to you because you can trust that our legal advice is sound and backed by experience and competency.

The province of Saskatchewan is unique in that it has a comparatively large rural population. In fact, it has been reported that Saskatchewan has the greatest number of rural municipalities in Canada.

Saskatchewan is also home to many Indigenous communities who live in remote areas, both on and off reserves.

At Oykhman Criminal Defence, we are aware of the significant challenges that face both rural and Indigenous communities, not the least of which is the fact that underprivileged individuals are disproportionately represented in the Canadian criminal justice system.

This is why our team of lawyers is dedicated to serving and supporting clients who reside outside of Regina and Saskatoon and who may not necessarily have the easiest access to the court system. Our lawyers service many of the northern communities of Saskatchewan and are committed to making access to justice more convenient for individuals in rural communities.

For example, one of our lawyers has extensive experience servicing the rural community of La Ronge. This reflects our efforts to support clients in rural communities and to try to ensure that they continue to be active participants in the legal system.

When you are arrested by the police, it is important to remember that you have a Charter right to silence. This means that you do not need to divulge any information to the police about whether or not you are innocent or guilty of an offence.

When police arrest an individual, they may ask for their name, address, and phone number. The only obligation you have is to provide this information to the police and then to inform the arresting officers that you would like to enforce your right to silence.

It is important that you remain calm when communicating or interacting with police officers. If you are unnecessarily violent or offensive, you may incur other criminal charges. To avoid this, you must remain collected and polite.

It is in your interest to state to the arresting police officers that you do not want to answer any questions and that you do not consent to any searches of your home, your car, or your person.

Remember that if the police do not have a search warrant, they cannot unlawfully search through your belongings or possessions.

You should avoid relaying any kind of information to the police. In doing so, you may in fact be giving them information that they can use against you.

You should reserve telling your side of the story to your lawyer or to a judge in a courtroom. Your lawyer will be looking out for your best interests and will be able to appreciate your honesty without taking advantage of you.

When police detect that an individual is willing to cooperate, they will try to collect as much information from that individual and take their time in questioning them. This can be psychologically exhausting, given the harmful techniques that police may utilize during interrogations.

For example, the Reid technique, which many police agencies in Saskatchewan employ, is an interrogation method that makes it incredibly difficult not to confess to a crime.

Police will isolate their suspect, falsely accuse them of being guilty, suggest that they have evidence which proves their blameworthiness and then absolve the suspect of any wrongdoing so that they can feel more comfortable confessing.

For this reason, it is important to convey to police that you do not wish to cooperate. It is likely that any line of questioning will stop after you have made this clear.

When police officers recognize that someone is not willing to cooperate, it is less likely that they will hold them in custody (or they will hold them in custody for far less time).

If you are in detention or in custody, it will be useful to retain a criminal defence lawyer so that you can remain ahead of any legal actions that the police agency may take against you.

A criminal defence lawyer will be able to understand your situation, acknowledge the relevant evidence, request disclosure on your behalf, and strategize a way to reduce your sentence or to expunge your criminal charge altogether.