MELANIE CANTIN, Toronto Criminal Defence Lawyer

Mélanie Cantin (“Mel”) is an associate at Hicks Adams. She handles a wide range of cases, leaving no stone unturned when it comes to upholding the constitutional rights of her clients. Mélanie completed her articles at Hicks Adams, which allowed her to learn from experienced criminal defence counsel and gain the skills needed to hit the ground running upon her return to the firm as an associate.

Mélanie is Franco-Ontarian and graduated magna cum laude from the French Juris Doctor program at the University of Ottawa Faculty of Law. During the second year of her law degree, she was a student caseworker at the University of Ottawa Community Legal Clinic, where she assisted persons accused of provincial and summary conviction offences with all aspects of their cases. For the latter two years of her degree, she was also the teaching assistant for the first-year criminal law course, which allowed her to develop a thorough understanding of the most important cases in Canadian criminal law.

Throughout her studies and professional experiences, Mélanie has developed a keen interest in criminal evidence law and its many technicalities. She meticulously reviews each case to flag evidentiary issues early, and ensures that state actors are held to the highest standards every step of the way.

Prior to law school, Mélanie obtained her Bachelor of Arts (Honours) from Carleton University in criminology and criminal justice, graduating with high distinction and gaining a deeper understanding of the many reasons a person might come into contact with the criminal justice system. This background informs her client-centred approach, and she strives to guide each client through the criminal justice system with care and dedication to achieve the best possible results.

Mélanie est bilingue et parle français.