Panel standards

The standards set out requirements for admission to, and continued standing on, the Extremely Serious Criminal Matters (ESM) panel. The standards outline the minimum related experience for ESM panel membership.

Extremely Serious Criminal Matters are defined as youth or adult trials, appeals or extraditions of:

• all murder charges;
• all dangerous offender applications;
• all charges with a mandatory minimum penitentiary sentence of four years or more; and
• charges contained in Criminal Code sections 83.2 to 83.22 related to terrorism.

Fill out the panel application form and send your completed application form to your district office.

To be admitted to the ESM panel, a lawyer shall have a minimum of five years of 100 per cent criminal practice concentration or the equivalent, and have acquired specific experience set out in the standards within the last five years. The district area director shall have the discretion to empanel a lawyer who may not fully meet the standards if the district area director deems the panel member to have the necessary skills and experience.

Every year, lawyers are required to report their compliance with the standards and their completion of the annual professional development in the lawyer’s annual self-report.

Please contact your district area director for more information.