In Ontario law, any criminal proceedings may have a judicial pre-trial – also known as a pre-trial conference – before the actual trial takes place. This conference is held between the accused party’s legal counsel, a Crown Attorney assigned to the file and a judge.
In the event that the accused party doesn’t have legal representation at the scheduled time of this conference, they will be allowed to attend themselves and then it will be a “Self Represented Judicial Pre-trial”.
A CROWN PRE-TRIAL
A crown pre-trial refers to a pre-trial conference between the legal representative of the accused and the head prosecutor for the case. It is a private conversation in which terms relevant to the case should be discussed such as potential resolution positions or if this matter is going to trial. These meetings also help both parties to outline the approximate length of the case and any weaknesses either side has.