Point Duty Traffic Court Defence & Legal Services — Licensed Paralegal OntarioPoint DutyTraffic Court Defence and Legal Services
Criminal Code s.320.13

Dangerous Driving charges in Brampton, Ontario.

Quick Answer — Brampton

Point Duty defends dangerous driving charges under Criminal Code s.320.13(1) — a criminal offence, not a Highway Traffic Act one, requiring proof of a marked departure from the care a reasonable driver would show. Conviction brings a criminal record, a possible driving prohibition, and up to two years less a day summarily. A licensed paralegal can act on a summary election; where the driving is alleged to have caused bodily harm or death, the charge falls outside paralegal scope and is referred to a lawyer.

Dangerous driving is a charge where the first question is whether Point Duty Traffic Court Defence and Legal Services can act at all. A paralegal may take the basic dangerous operation offence once the Crown elects to proceed summarily; where the driving caused bodily harm or death, the matter falls outside paralegal scope and a Brampton client is referred to a lawyer. On the files we can take at the Davis courthouse, what the Crown has to prove is a marked departure from what a reasonable driver would have done — not simply bad driving.

Operating a motor vehicle in a manner dangerous to the public — a Criminal Code offence distinct from the HTA's careless driving. Hybrid; only the simpliciter offence at s.320.13(1) is within paralegal scope, on a summary election.

Courthouse
A. Grenville and William Davis Courthouse (Ontario Court of Justice)
Court Phone
(905) 456-4700
Consultation
Free & Confidential
i.

What the charge means

Section 320.13 of the Criminal Code prohibits operating a conveyance in a manner that, having regard to all the circumstances, is dangerous to the public. The standard is a marked departure from the conduct of a reasonable person.

ii.

Penalties

Hybrid offence. On summary election: up to 2 years less a day. On indictment: up to 10 years. A driving prohibition is available at the court's discretion. Where the driving causes bodily harm the maximum rises to 14 years on indictment; where it causes death, life imprisonment. A finding of guilt creates a criminal record.

iii.

Available defences

  • Conduct did not constitute a marked departure from the norm
  • Mechanical failure or sudden unexpected emergency
  • Identification of the driver
  • Charter — unlawful stop, search, or detention
iv.

The process

If Crown elects summary, the matter is within paralegal scope. If Crown elects indictment, we refer to a barrister from our network. Disclosure review and Crown pre-trial often clarify the election early.

v.

Notes for Brampton

Peel Region's court hub for Brampton and Mississauga. Criminal summary matters from Peel Regional Police, OPP, and Brampton bylaw are heard at the Davis Courthouse on Hurontario; HTA tickets and provincial offences are routed to the Ray Lawson POA building. One of the busiest court complexes in Ontario.

Criminal Court

A. Grenville and William Davis Courthouse (Ontario Court of Justice)

7755 Hurontario Street, Brampton, ON L6W 4T1

(905) 456-4700

Criminal matters from Brampton and Mississauga. Caledon criminal charges go to the Orangeville Courthouse.

Local practice notes reviewed 2026-09-11

Common Questions — Brampton

Where is a dangerous driving charge heard in Brampton?

Brampton dangerous driving matters are heard at A. Grenville and William Davis Courthouse (Ontario Court of Justice), 7755 Hurontario Street, Brampton, ON L6W 4T1. The court's number is (905) 456-4700. Point Duty appears there.

Who lays dangerous driving charges in Brampton?

In Brampton, dangerous driving charges are laid by Peel Regional Police, OPP and RCMP. The charge is then heard at A. Grenville and William Davis Courthouse (Ontario Court of Justice).

How long does a dangerous driving charge take in Brampton?

Peel tends to be a little slow in providing disclosure — often it is not available until well after the first appearance. Point Duty Traffic Court Defence and Legal Services counts that in when setting expectations at the Davis courthouse: the overall range is similar to Toronto's, but a larger share of it is spent waiting for the Crown's first package rather than waiting for a date.

How does the Crown handle dangerous driving in Brampton?

A Peel Crown generally wants to see the work already underway before they will discuss resolution — counselling started, restitution paid, whatever the file calls for. That is the main difference from Toronto, where a Crown will usually have the conversation first and build the terms afterwards. Point Duty Traffic Court Defence and Legal Services raises that with clients at the Brampton courthouse early, because the months before disclosure arrives are when the work can be done.

What else should I know about A. Grenville and William Davis Courthouse (Ontario Court of Justice)?

Brampton has two active courthouses and people go to the wrong one. Criminal matters are at 7755 Hurontario Street — the A. Grenville and William Davis Courthouse — while Highway Traffic Act tickets and other provincial offences are heard a few kilometres away at 5 Ray Lawson Boulevard. Toronto's problem is the opposite: it consolidated six courthouses into one building in March 2023 and clients still turn up at the old ones. In Brampton both buildings are open and both are busy.
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