Amara McLaughlin-Harris, Barrister & Solicitor
Chatham, ON N7M 5K3
Contact
Criminal Law Services
Every charge has a context. Health, relationships, culture, money, and housing can shape our decisions, our movements, the suspicions of others—and the path that leads someone into the criminal justice system. Being charged can be heavy and disruptive. It can put freedom, housing, work, relationships, and opportunities at risk. For some, it’s one of the lowest points in their life. It can also be a turning point. My role is to understand where my clients are coming from, protect what matters most to them, and do whatever I can to ease the process of dealing with their charges.
That means:
- + Pursuing release for unjustly detained clients
- + Advocating for meritless or minor charges to be withdrawn
- + Securing outcomes that minimize harm and support client goals
- + Approaching trial knowing the evidence, the law, and my client’s story, inside and out
I also:
- + Represent clients across Ontario
- + Arrange client transport to court
- + Update clients every step of the way
- + Respond to clients within 24 hours
Mental Health Law Services
There are many ways of thinking about the human mind and its health.
If a person’s behaviour is seen as risky because of mental health symptoms, they could come into contact with the mental health law system.
Under Ontario’s Mental Health Act, people can be hospitalized against their will for two reasons:
- + A risk of harm to themselves or others
- + A risk of deterioration, if they are also found to be incapable of making treatment decisions and have been shown to respond to treatment in the past
Outside the hospital, people can also be:
- + Placed on Community Treatment Orders, requiring them to receive treatment
- + Found incapable of making their own decisions, whether about medical treatment, personal care, property, or otherwise
These decisions are made at hearings of the Consent and Capacity Board.
I advocate before the Consent and Capacity Board for clients who seek:
- + Release from hospital
- + Relief from involuntary treatment
- + Restoration of decisionmaking capacity
- + Variation of hospital conditions and privileges
- + To challenge the choices of Substitute Decision Makers
Record Suspension (Pardon) Services
A criminal record can be a barrier to work, volunteering, or travelling.
Record suspensions, a.k.a. pardons, seal a criminal record and can remove these barriers in many cases. Visit the Government of Canada website for more information about the application process.
Depending on the nature of the offence and when the sentence was rendered, pardons may be sought 3–10 years after a sentence is served. Visit the Government of Canada website for more information about eligibility for pardons.
Legal Aid Certificate Services
If someone with low or no income is charged with a criminal offence or subject to a Consent and Capacity Board order, their legal fees may be covered by Legal Aid Ontario.
As a member of the Legal Aid Ontario Roster, I accept Legal Aid Certificates for both adult and youth Criminal and Consent and Capacity Board matters.
Sliding Scale Retainer Services
Some are not eligible for Legal Aid, whether because of the nature of their charges, or because they are above the income threshold.
I offer private retainer services on a sliding scale, geared to income.
About Amara
- + Amara graduated from the University of King's College, Halifax, with a Bachelor’s degree in English and German, First Class Honours. She received several scholarships and awards for academic excellence, including the Paul MacIsaac Memorial Prize.
- + She completed her law degree at the University of Toronto, where she did fellowships in civil and forensic mental health law with the Canadian Civil Liberties Association and the Law and Mental Disorder Association. She also completed an externship with Health Law Innovation and Policy Lab at Mount Sinai Hospital and was awarded unique best student in Public Health Law.
- + She worked at legal clinics, including West Toronto Community Legal Services and the Huron Perth Community Legal Clinic in Stratford, Ontario, before starting her criminal and mental health law practice.
- + She now practices criminal and mental health law in Ontario, advocating for clients from a social determinants of health perspective. She is also a notary public.