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| Adriana Ortiz |
On the morning of Feb. 2, 2024, a Crown prosecutor in British Columbia, was walking toward the courthouse. Under the courthouse's "safe walk" program. A stranger struck her in the face with a closed fist. The blow came out of nowhere.
The British Columbia Crown Counsel Association, after the incident, called for heightened security, even questioning whether the courthouse should be relocated, an extraordinary suggestion born of frustration with increasingly unsafe surroundings.
While perhaps not as recent, the 2021 attack at a Toronto criminal defence law firm remains deeply resonant. A young receptionist was stabbed at her desk. Tragically, the injuries proved fatal.
Legal professionals observed in horror. Even when not directly involved in cases, front‐desk personnel bear risk when threats, animosity or intent to harm spill into spaces removed from courtrooms. This case is a painful reminder that justice isn’t always delivered inside a courtroom; sometimes it intersects with randomness and tragedy in the most unexpected places.
Taken together, these events underscore a painful reality for many in the legal professions that their professional responsibilities sometimes require stepping into situations where safety is far from guaranteed
In Vancouver, the injured prosecutor described both physical and psychological aftermath, pain, shock, and lasting numbness.
Meanwhile, in Toronto, not only did the attack on the receptionist have lethal consequences, it also sent ripples through the legal community about what protections must exist for people. Legal associations and firms scrambled, trying to balance openness with safety.
Across Canada, threats against legal professionals take many forms. They can range from verbal abuse and online harassment to physical confrontations outside courtrooms or even in public places. Lawyers have reported receiving threats against themselves or their families, sometimes intended to intimidate or influence the outcome of a case. These threats, though often unseen by the public, contribute to a climate of fear and self-censorship among those who serve the justice system.
While rarer, there have been documented instances of individuals seeking out lawyers at their residences or offices, leading to stalking or direct threats. Such intrusions erase the line between professional and private life.
There are calls for upgraded security, better surveillance, more court officers, safer escort programs, even consideration of where courthouses are located. In British Columbia, following the 2024 assault, a private courthouse security contract was terminated, highlighting growing scrutiny on safety in and around justice facilities.
But security is only one dimension. Many legal professionals note that threats, intimidation and violence often stem from deeper issues such as mental health crises, substance abuse, desperation, anger over legal outcomes. In some cases, those who attack feel unheard, powerless or betrayed by what they believe the justice system has done. Without addressing those root causes, protective protocols may be reactive rather than preventive.
Justice depends not only on laws and courts, but on the people who serve inside them. When any of them feel unsafe, the functioning of the system falters.
Governments should examine whether courthouse locations, access to secure routes, and safety staffing levels are commensurate with current risks, especially in urban centres with a rising public disorder.
Expanding mental health supports not only for clients but for administrative staff, supporting courtroom operations staff and legal teams is essential.
Institutions must effectively convey the security measures in place, handle threats, and address failures.
Canada’s justice system is built on the ideals of fairness, impartiality, the rule of law. But ideals cannot stand alone; they rely on people who risk their safety to uphold them.
As Aristotle once wrote, “The law is reason, free from passion.” Yet those who enforce and uphold it are human, bearing all the vulnerability, compassion, and courage that reason alone cannot protect.
Adriana Ortiz is a criminal defence lawyer and has a GPLLM from the University of Toronto Faculty of Law. You can contact her at adriana@adrianaortizrlaw.ca.
The opinions expressed are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the author’s firm, its clients, Law360 Canada, LexisNexis Canada, or any of its or their respective affiliates. This article is for general information purposes and is not intended to be and should not be taken as legal advice.
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