Our lawyers are deeply committed to the civil liberties and rights of all citizens. As citizens we often take our rights for granted. A criminal charge tests and personalizes those beliefs, putting your civil liberties and rights keenly in focus.

In each case, and for every accused, a criminal defence lawyer is striving for the rights of all citizens. That axiom is well reflected in the words of Mr. Justice Cory, now of the Supreme Court of Canada, in R v Hunter, where he wrote: "The actions of the state taken against the least worthy of its citizens will eventually determine the pattern of its actions towards all its citizens".

All criminal defendants deserve experienced, prepared, aggressive and truly committed representation. Our firm strives to provide that level of service to all our clients whether they are charged with shoplifting or murder.

Criminal law in Canada has become a complicated and challenging area of practice. Since the introduction of the Charter of Rights and Freedoms in 1982 the volume of reported case law has grown exponentially. A lawyer cannot safely dabble in the field of criminal law. Practicing criminal law effectively requires constant devotion to keep up to date on the quickly changing law. The lawyers at Beresh Cunningham work as a team to keep at the forefront of Canadian criminal law. Our lawyers are constantly attending seminars and courses to educate themselves in the many aspects of criminal law such as: forensic evidence, expert evidence, children's evidence, breathalyzer evidence, cross examination, police tactics, and many other areas.

We are greatly concerned with the rising number of accused appearing without lawyers in the court system of Alberta and throughout Canada. An unrepresented accused simply cannot properly defend oneself. Beresh Cunningham has fought in many cases for the proper funding of a criminal defence. All our lawyers are members of the Criminal Trial Lawyers Association and the Canadian Counsel of Criminal Defence Lawyers. Four of our lawyers are past presidents of the Criminal Trial Lawyer's Association; one of our lawyers is a past president of the Canadian Counsel of Defence Lawyers. Both organizations have fought long and hard for the rights of the disadvantaged and the proper funding of legal aid systems throughout Canada.

If you have a criminal law issue contact one of our lawyers immediately.