Alexander Ostroff

Associate

Tel: (416) 847-2560 x 238 | aostroff@lcp-law.com

Alexander Ostroff is an appellate associate at Lockyer Posner Craig. In 2014, he graduated from the transsystemic program at the McGill University Faculty of Law in 2014, with degrees in both common law and civil law.

In law school, Alexander worked with the Center for Research-Action on Race Relations on cases of discrimination and racial profiling by law enforcement, and on related complaints to the Québec Human Rights Commission and the Commissaire à la déontologie policière. He also co-developed the Faculty’s first Critical Race Theory course, and co-organised a public panel on criminalization of HIV non-disclosure. These experiences strengthened his interest in criminal law and his commitment to the pursuit of justice.

Alexander was called to the Ontario Bar in 2015. In 2016, he joined Lockyer Posner Craig, where his practice focuses on criminal appeals. He speaks fluent French.

Experience

As an appellate associate at Lockyer Posner Craig, Alexander represents clients appealing their convictions and sentences, as well as clients responding to Crown appeals. He appears regularly at the Court of Appeal for Ontario, both for his own files, and while working with senior partners on complex criminal appeals, particularly appeals against murder convictions. He has also successfully obtained Court-ordered funding for multiple appeals denied funding by Legal Aid Ontario.

Although his practice focuses on criminal appeals, Alexander has argued appeals at the Ontario Court of Justice, where he obtained a new trial for a client convicted of multiple provincial regulatory offences. He also prepares summary conviction appeals, Supreme Court leave applications, and applications for bail pending appeal.

Prior to joining Lockyer Posner Craig, Alexander articled at the Crown Law Office – Criminal, where he developed appellate advocacy skills working on murder, manslaughter, assault, firearms and drug appeals, as well as inmate appeals and a Supreme Court of Canada intervention. He also assisted senior counsel on complex prosecutions of police officers, and conducted trials and appeals of provincial offences at the Ontario Court of Justice in both English and French.

Education

LL.B., McGill University – 2014
B.C.L., McGill University – 2014
B.A., Joint Honours in Political Science and History, McGill University – 2009

Professional Memberships

Canadian Bar Association
Criminal Lawyers’ Association

Call To The Bar

Ontario 2015
Tag: Toronto Criminal Lawyer

Notable Cases
- R. v. Wisdom, 2017 ONCA 650
  
  Mr. Lockyer and Mr. Ostroff successfully appealed the accused’s conviction for first degree murder, attempted murder, and committing those offences for a criminal organization. A new trial was ordered because the trial judge erroneously admitted highly prejudicial gang-related bad character evidence. After the successful appeal, the charges against the accused were withdrawn.
  
  R. v. Davies, 2017 ONCA 467
  
  Mr. Ostroff persuaded the Court of Appeal to reduce a lengthy robbery sentence by 2 years because the trial judge sentenced the self-represented accused without obtaining or considering any information about his personal circumstances.
  
  R. v. Zoldi, 2018 ONCA 384
  
  Mr. Beechener and Mr. Ostroff successfully appealed the accused’s conviction for second degree murder. A new trial was ordered because the trial judge made errors in instructing the jury on the required state of mind for aiding and abetting murder.
  
  R. v. Land, 2019 ONCA 39
  
  Mr. Beechener and Mr. Ostroff successfully appealed the accused’s conviction for second degree murder. A new trial was ordered because the trial judge improperly refused to leave the partial defence of provocation with the jury. The Court of Appeal also held that the accused’s experiences as a survivor of childhood sexual abuse should be considered in determining whether he had been provoked.
  
  R. v. Walker, 2019 ONCA 806
  
  Mr. Campbell and Mr. Ostroff successfully appealed the accused’s conviction for first degree murder. The accused’s original trial was unfair due to the trial judge’s comments about whether a critical piece of video evidence showed a gun, and a new trial was ordered.