Criminal Defence Lawyers Calgary | Osuji & Smith Lawyers

Calgary's Criminal Defence Lawyers

Criminal Defence & Charter Rights

Representing individuals across Alberta at every stage of the criminal justice process. The first decision you make after being charged is the most important one.

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Multi-OfficeCalgary · Toronto · Vancouver · Dubai

600+Google Reviews

130+Awards Won

9+Consecutive Years Top Ranked

45+Years of Service

150+Combined Years of Experience

How We Approach Defence

A criminal charge is not a conviction. Between those two points there is a process — and that process has rules. Rules about how evidence is gathered, how arrests are conducted, how rights are communicated, and how the Crown must prove its case. Our job is to know those rules better than the prosecution does and to hold every step of the process to the standard the law requires.

At your first consultation we assess your situation honestly. We tell you what the charge means, what the likely process looks like, and where we see your strongest grounds for defence. We do not tell you what you want to hear. We tell you what you need to know.

Protecting Your Rights

A Criminal Charge Is Not a Conviction

A criminal charge changes the terms of your life immediately — and before anything is proven or a court date is set, the weight of what you are facing is already present in ways that are difficult to explain to anyone who has not been through it.

Our criminal defence lawyers are available exactly when you need them. Procedural errors and rights violations are not technicalities. They are legitimate and often decisive grounds for defence. We identify them, and we use them.

Everything you tell us is protected by solicitor-client privilege from the first conversation. Criminal defence clients do not appear in our reviews — that is a deliberate decision. The people we represent in criminal matters value their privacy above everything else and we protect it without exception.

Our Services

Criminal Defence Services We Provide

Bail Hearings

The hours and days immediately following an arrest are critical. Securing release while awaiting trial affects your ability to prepare a proper defence, maintain your employment, and support your family. We move quickly, presenting compelling arguments for release and addressing conditions, sureties, and recognizance requirements with the precision these proceedings demand.

DUI & Impaired Driving

An impaired driving charge carries serious consequences for your licence, your record, and in some cases your freedom. We examine the roadside stop, the breathalyzer procedure, the field sobriety test, and whether your rights were observed at every stage. Procedural errors and rights violations are legitimate and often decisive grounds for defence.

Immediate Roadside Prohibition Appeals

An immediate roadside prohibition can be imposed without a court hearing and the window to challenge it is short. We have successfully appealed these prohibitions for clients across Alberta, guiding them through the procedural and substantive requirements of the appeal process to help them regain their driving privileges.

Assault & Domestic Violence

Assault charges range from simple to aggravated and the consequences vary accordingly. Domestic violence charges are treated seriously by Alberta courts and the process moves quickly. We examine the full circumstances and evidence, protecting your legal rights while navigating the family law intersections these matters frequently involve.

Drug Offences

Drug charges in Alberta cover a wide range and the approach to each depends entirely on the specific facts. We examine how the evidence was obtained, whether the search and seizure was lawful, and what options exist for negotiation or challenge at each stage of the process.

Theft, Fraud & White Collar

Complex financial defence for allegations of commercial fraud, embezzlement, and property theft. These matters require careful analysis of the evidence and the circumstances and we build the defence around what the facts actually support.

Sexual Offences

High-stakes, confidential defence for sensitive allegations involving sexual assault or related charges. We provide thorough representation with the discretion and precision these matters require, while protecting your Charter rights throughout the process.

Youth Offences

Young people facing criminal charges require a different kind of representation. The youth justice system in Alberta operates under different principles — with rehabilitation and proportionality at its centre — and the decisions made at this stage can follow a young person for a long time. We represent young clients with the care and specificity their situation requires.

Appeals

If you have been convicted and the grounds for appeal are sound, the process is worth pursuing. We identify and assess grounds for appeal, prepare the necessary legal arguments, and represent clients before the Alberta Court of Appeal. We will tell you honestly whether your case has merit at the appellate level before you invest in the process.

The Osuji Standard

Holding Every Step to the Standard the Law Requires

Hiring a criminal defence lawyer at Osuji & Smith means hiring the entire firm. We constantly meet to peer-review our defence strategies, ensuring that no technicality is missed and every constitutional right is leveraged for your benefit.

We represent clients across Calgary and Alberta for all types of criminal allegations — from bail hearings through to trial, sentencing, and appeal. Our approach is the same at every level: thorough preparation, honest assessment, and representation that does not waver.

A Note on Confidentiality

Criminal defence clients do not appear in our reviews. That is a deliberate decision. The people we represent in criminal matters value their privacy above everything else and we protect it without exception. What we can tell you is that the standard of representation here is the same standard that has been independently recognised for nine consecutive years across all of our practice areas.

The Advantage

The Collective Intelligence Advantage

Criminal matters frequently intersect with other areas of law. A domestic violence charge can involve family law proceedings running simultaneously. A fraud matter can have employment consequences that outlast the criminal process itself. An immigration status can be affected by a criminal record.

At Osuji & Smith, your criminal defence lawyer works within a firm covering family law, employment, immigration, and civil litigation. When your matter requires that wider view, the expertise is already here without engaging a separate firm.

Family Law & Divorce → Employment & Labour Law → Immigration & Refugee Law → Civil Litigation → Real Estate Law → Business & Corporate Law → Wills & Estate Planning →

Your First Call Matters. Make It the Right One.

Speak With Us Before Anything Else

If you or someone you care about has been charged or is under investigation, get legal advice before anything else happens. Everything you tell us is protected by solicitor-client privilege from the first conversation.

Request a Criminal Defence Consultation

Or call us directly 403.283.8018