Jill R. Presser, B.A. (Hons), LL.B., was called to the Ontario Bar in 1997 after receiving her law degree from the Faculty of Law, McGill University, in 1994.

Jill’s practice is primarily devoted to trial and appellate criminal defence. She regularly appears at courts at all levels. Jill also represents clients in administrative and regulatory matters. She defends clients facing a broad range of criminal charges including serious violent crimes, drug offences, white collar offences, and domestic assaults, among others.

A substantial part of Jill’s practice is devoted to appeals. She has been counsel on a number of notable cases, including: R. v. Safarzadeh-Markhali (Supreme Court of Canada strikes down a section of the Truth in Sentencing Act as unconstitutional); R. v. Spencer (Supreme Court of Canada: decides that subscriber information in the hands of an Internet service provider is private); R. v. Conception (Supreme Court of Canada: dealing with treatment orders in forensic psychiatric hospitals); R. v. Dowholis (the Court of Appeal for Ontario held that homophobic comments by a juror created a reasonable apprehension of bias); R. v. Delchev (the Court of Appeal for Ontario held that the lawyer-client relationship is essential to the administration of justice, and that the Crown’s exercise of discretion is reviewable in some circumstances); R. v. Jack (Ontario Court of Appeal: acquittal on appeal in a robbery case for improper ID); Re Laberakis (Ontario Court of Appeal: substituted absolute discharge for disposition of Ontario Review Board).

Jill was a staff lawyer to the Hon. Stephen Goudge on the Commission of Inquiry into Pediatric Forensic pathology in Ontario. She is an Adjunct Professor of Law and the University of Toronto Faculty of Law and has also been an Adjunct Professor at Osgoode Hall law school. She frequently contributes to continuing legal education programs for lawyers and judges organized by the National Judicial Institute, the Law Society of Upper Canada and Osgoode Hall. Jill has published a number of case comments and articles relating to issues in the criminal law. Some of these have been cited by the Supreme Court of Canada.

Jill is often appointed amicus curiae by the Court of Appeal for Ontario in appeals involving unrepresented mentally disordered appellants. She also assists the Court of Appeal for Ontario as duty counsel for unrepresented inmate and in-person appellants. Jill prosecuted criminal matters on behalf of the Attorney General of Ontario on a part-time basis from 2001-2007.