Lawyer · Toronto, Ontario

Joshua Freedman

BA, MA, JD, LLM, PhD

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Criminal Defence

Private retainers & Legal Aid certificates

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Professional Discipline

Lawyers, dentists, therapists & more

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Appeals

Criminal & provincial offences

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Traffic & Regulatory

HTA, POA, by-laws, licensing

Toronto lawyer defending criminal, traffic and regulatory charges, representing professionals before their regulators, and arguing appeals. Former Provincial Prosecutor with the Ontario Ministry of the Attorney General (2017–2025). PhD in Law, Queen's University.

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About

Advocacy Grounded in Scholarship

Joshua A.M. Freedman is a Toronto lawyer in good standing with the Law Society of Ontario, called to the bar in June 2017. Through his own practice, Joshua Freedman Law, he defends people facing criminal and provincial offence charges, represents regulated professionals and licensees, and handles criminal and provincial offences appeals.

From 2017 to 2025 he was a Provincial Prosecutor with the Ontario Ministry of the Attorney General, where he prosecuted regulatory offences under provincial statutes, argued appeals, and conducted resolution discussions and pre-trials. He articled at the Crown Law Office – Criminal.

In 2026 he completed a PhD in Law at Queen's University with a dissertation on Crown criminal appeals in Canada's provincial courts of appeal. He also holds an LLM from the University of Toronto, with a thesis on expert evidence.

His career spans prosecution, defence and academic research, giving him a working knowledge of how cases are charged, resolved, tried and appealed.

Called to the Bar of Ontario

June 2017 · Law Society of Ontario

Provincial Prosecutor

Ontario Ministry of the Attorney General · 2017–2025

PhD in Law

Queen's University · 2026 · Dissertation on Crown criminal appeals

LLM, Criminal Law

University of Toronto · Thesis on expert evidence

Practice Areas

Areas of Practice

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Criminal Defence

Defending people charged under the Criminal Code, from the bail hearing through trial and sentencing, by private retainer or on a Legal Aid Ontario certificate.

Bail hearings
Sentencing hearings
Impaired driving
Dangerous driving
Assault
Theft

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Professional Discipline

Representing regulated professionals and applicants before their regulators and tribunals.

Professional misconduct allegations
Good character and registration hearings
Discipline appeals

Regulators include the Law Society of Ontario (lawyers and paralegals), Royal College of Dental Surgeons of Ontario, College of Massage Therapists of Ontario, College of Registered Psychotherapists of Ontario, Ontario College of Social Workers and Social Service Workers, CPA Ontario and the Real Estate Council of Ontario.

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Criminal Appeals

Appeals in the Superior Court of Justice and the Court of Appeal for Ontario, drawing on doctoral research into Crown appeals.

Conviction and sentence appeals
Responding to Crown appeals
Summary conviction appeals
Appellate assistance for trial counsel

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Highway Traffic Act

Defending driving charges where a licence, a record or insurance is at stake.

Stunt driving and racing
Driving while suspended
Careless driving, including causing bodily harm or death

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Regulatory & Provincial Offences

Defence of charges under Ontario's Provincial Offences Act and provincial regulatory statutes, informed by years on the prosecution side.

Regulatory prosecutions
Municipal by-law charges
Provincial offences appeals

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Liquor & Licensing

Representing licensees facing enforcement action and licence proceedings.

Liquor licence matters
Licence suspensions and revocations
Related provincial offence charges

Free 15-minute consultations. Book a time →

Selected Matters

Selected Cases

K.N. v. Chartered Professional Accountants of Ontario, G-25-005

CPA Ontario Admission & Registration Committee · December 2025

Good character hearing before the CPA Ontario Admission and Registration Committee. Following vigorous representation, the Panel found that the Applicant had demonstrated, on a balance of probabilities, that he was a person of good character, and ordered that he be admitted as a member of CPA Ontario.

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Law Society of Ontario v. Alfano, 2025 ONLSTH 117

Law Society Tribunal, Hearing Division · March 2025

Co-counsel for the Law Society of Ontario in a complex, multi-application regulatory prosecution against a paralegal whose misconduct spanned eight years. The Tribunal found 24 proven allegations, including multiple failures to serve clients, integrity breaches, and deliberate licensing dishonesty. Joshua's experience prosecuting regulatory matters informs his defence of clients facing regulatory charges.

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Past results are not necessarily indicative of future results. The outcome of any matter depends on its own facts.

Research

Scholarship

Canada's Crown has some of the broadest criminal appeal rights in the common law world. Joshua's doctoral research is the first comprehensive empirical study of how it uses them.

Crown Criminal Appeals in Provincial Courts of Appeal: An Empirical and Policy Analysis

PhD Dissertation · Queen's University Faculty of Law · 2026

The dissertation builds an original dataset of every Crown criminal appeal decided by Canada's provincial and territorial courts of appeal from 2000 to 2020 (3,252 appeals), combined with interviews with appellate practitioners. It examines why the Crown appeals and why it succeeds, presents a case study of how Crown appeals shaped the law after R. v. Gladue, compares Canada's appellate regime with those of Britain, Australia, the United States and continental Europe, and proposes reforms.

Read the Dissertation →

Contact

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Let's Connect

Whether you have been charged, are facing a regulatory proceeding, or are considering an appeal, the first conversation is free. Appeal deadlines are short, so contact a lawyer promptly.

Free · 15 minutes

Pick a time that suits you. We'll talk through your situation and your options.

Book a Free Consultation

Or send a message

Phone (416) 910-3922

Email joshfreedmanlaw@outlook.com

Location Toronto, Ontario

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