How disclosure works on a criminal charge

This page is a public educational walkthrough. It is not a retainer, a court form, or a promise about your result. For legal advice, you should contact an appropriate Lawyer or Paralegal specializing in the area of law you need assistance with.

1. Disclosure is the Crown’s evidence package

   Notes, videos, witness statements and the charge wording. You generally cannot prepare a defence from the first-appearance sheet alone.

2. Ask in writing and keep the ask

   A dated email or letter to the Crown office on the charge is a record. Court can later ask whether you requested it.

3. Read every page once it arrives

   The offence in the Criminal Code and the facts in disclosure have to match before anyone talks about a plea.

4. Missing items get listed, not shouted

   If a video or a witness statement is named but not included, write that down and ask again.

5. This site is not the Crown brief

   We publish the Criminal Code text. We do not host your disclosure.

Official law on this site: criminal-law.

Disclaimer: Know The Law publishes legal information for the public, not legal advice. Court forms, fees and filing channels change. Read the official statute text and the official form page linked from this guide before you act. We do not represent you and we do not file documents for you. For legal advice, you should contact an appropriate Lawyer or Paralegal specializing in the area of law you need assistance with.