If you have been convicted in Canada of a crime that you did not commit, Innocence Canada may be able to help.

You must be innocent of the crime for which you have been convicted. If you are guilty of the offence you have been convicted of, please do not apply to Innocence Canada. If you have concerns over other issues regarding your conviction, please contact your lawyer.

At this time Innocence Canada is only accepting cases involving convictions for homicide for review. If you were convicted of a different offence, we regret that we cannot assist you.

Also, before Innocence Canada can accept a case for review, you must have completed an appeal of the conviction to the provincial Court of Appeal

If you need help finding a lawyer, contact the provincial law society or legal aid organization. Innocence Canada is not able to provide legal advice or referrals to lawyers.

If you are innocent of the crime for which you were convicted, and if your conviction was for homicide, and you have completed an appeal of your conviction to the provincial court of appeal, then you may submit an application.

Innocence Canada lawyers review all applications, but only a few cases proceed to an investigation.  Until a case is formally adopted by Innocence Canada, every review is investigative in nature and does not reflect Innocence Canada’s position with respect to your guilt or innocence.

Apply Now

To apply to Innocence Canada, please download, complete and return an application form, available below.

Please note that the application contains a waiver setting out the terms of the case review as well as an authorization that permits Innocence Canada to collect information about your case. You must sign both forms and your signing must be witnessed by another person before a case review can begin.

To request an application by mail, or for assistance in completing the application, please contact Innocence Canada’s Director of Client Services, Win Wahrer at: wwahrer@innocencecanada.com, 416-504-7500, ext. 5 or toll free 1-800-249-1329.

Applications and correspondence can be mailed to the following address:

Innocence Canada
555 Richmond Street West, Suite 1111
PO Box 106
Toronto, Ontario  M5V 3B1

Download the Innocence Canada Application Form (English)

Download the Innocence Canada Application Form (French)