What to expect at the Newmarket courthouse for a criminal case (York Region)

York Region criminal cases are heard at the Newmarket Courthouse, 50 Eagle Street West, Newmarket, the only courthouse in the region that the province lists for criminal court. Both trial courts sit in the building: the Ontario Court of Justice for case management, pleas and most trials, and the Superior Court of Justice for its own trials, bail hearings and reviews, and summary conviction appeals.

This page covers the criminal side of the building only. For how a criminal defence case in Ontario unfolds, start with our practice areas.

Why does a York Region charge end up in Newmarket?

The province's court directory lists three court locations in York Region: Newmarket at 50 Eagle Street West, Richmond Hill at 855 Major Mackenzie Drive East, and Markham at 8500 Leslie Street. The Richmond Hill and Markham locations list Small Claims Court only. So a criminal charge laid anywhere in the region, whether in Richmond Hill, Markham, Thornhill, Vaughan or Newmarket itself, is heard in Newmarket.

Our page on criminal cases in York Region covers the police districts that lay those charges. For Vaughan and Woodbridge, see our page on criminal cases in Vaughan. If your paper names a Toronto courthouse instead, read our guide to the courthouse at 10 Armoury Street.

How does a case move through 50 Eagle Street West, step by step?

The Ontario Court of Justice's practice directions apply across the province, so a Newmarket case follows the same stages as a Toronto one, in different rooms.

The first appearance is short: the court checks for a lawyer and disclosure, then sets the next date. Our guide to what happens at a first court appearance applies in Newmarket too, apart from the Toronto addresses. The evidence comes from the York Region Crown's office; our page on disclosure in an Ontario criminal case explains what to expect.

If a judge's input is needed, the lawyers book a judicial pre-trial; see what happens at a judicial pre-trial. Some charges can be resolved through a diversion program, which the Crown's policy on community justice programs (D. 4) applies across Ontario; our page on how diversion works explains who may qualify.

On most indictable charges you choose your court (Criminal Code s. 536(2)), and in York Region all three choices sit in the same building. Read about the election between a judge and a jury before that date. When the time comes to weigh a resolution, compare withdrawals, peace bonds, discharges and convictions. If there is a sentencing, our page on pre-sentence reports explains the report a probation officer may prepare (s. 721).

When is the courthouse open, and who do you call?

The court offices are open Monday to Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., with counter service from 9:00 to 11:00 a.m. and 2:00 to 4:00 p.m. French-language services are available by phone and at the counter. The court takes Visa or Mastercard, debit, cash, cheque and money order.

Note that 905-853-4809 is the line for civil, family and Small Claims matters in the same building, not criminal.

Which Ontario Court of Justice courtroom will you be in?

There is also a plea court for accused people who are not in custody. In the case management courts, lawyers' matters are called first, at 9:00 a.m. If you are representing yourself, expect to be called in the later blocks, which start after the morning recess and continue through the afternoon, with breaks at lunch and mid-afternoon.

Can you appear by Zoom?

For case management, usually yes. The Ontario Court of Justice's mode of appearance practice direction lets accused people who are not in custody, and their lawyers, appear by Zoom or in person unless a judicial officer directs otherwise. Courtrooms 201 and 106 each have a Zoom meeting, and the dial-in number is 1-855-703-8985; without a phone or computer, you can attend in person or call that number from a payphone. A judicial officer can also direct you to attend the next date in person.

A guilty plea, sentencing and trial need everyone in person unless the court allows a virtual appearance, which for a plea or sentencing needs the consent of the Crown and the accused (Criminal Code ss. 715.234 and 715.235). Newmarket's virtual courtroom details are posted on the court's location page, and our courtroom resources page keeps a copy of the Newmarket rooms. A lawyer can also appear for you at many steps under a designation of counsel; see whether you have to attend court in person.

What if you do not have a lawyer yet?

Newmarket criminal duty counsel is in the courthouse, at 905-836-8580, Monday to Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. The Ontario Court of Justice strongly encourages self-represented people to contact Legal Aid Ontario before their court day, because local duty counsel cannot guarantee same-day help. Legal Aid's central line, 1-800-668-8258, is open Monday to Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Legal Aid says it offers help in over 300 languages.

Expect a longer wait if you come without a lawyer: lawyers' matters are called first. The 12-week adjournment does not apply to self-represented accused.

How do you get a Farsi interpreter in Newmarket?

Court proceedings in Ontario are in English or French. Section 14 of the Charter gives an accused or witness who does not understand the language of the proceedings the right to an interpreter, and the Ministry of the Attorney General provides interpretation in any language required in criminal matters. Your lawyer may request one at the first appearance; if no one does, tell the judge or your lawyer on the record the first time you go to court.

Ontario tells counsel to give as much notice as possible and to phone the court office's interpreter coordinator or designated staff. In Newmarket, the criminal court office is 905-853-4801. A surety who needs an interpreter can ask counsel to request one. Our guide for Persian-speaking people charged in the GTA explains how we work with families in Farsi.

What does the Superior Court do in Newmarket?

The Superior Court of Justice sits in the same building and books its criminal work through one trial coordinator's office: trials, judicial pre-trials, bail hearings and bail reviews, 90-day detention reviews, criminal applications and motions, assignment court, and summary conviction appeals. A case reaches it when the accused elects a trial by a judge alone or a judge and jury, when a detention order is reviewed, or on an appeal from a summary conviction.

A bail review needs at least two clear days' written notice to the Crown unless it agrees otherwise (s. 520(2)), and a person detained for 90 days without a trial is entitled to a review hearing (s. 525). Our page on bail hearings in Ontario explains the first hearing. If a family member is asked to act as a surety at a Superior Court bail hearing or review, they should first read what a surety agrees to in Ontario.

Where do York Region traffic tickets go?

Not to 50 Eagle Street. York Region runs its own provincial offences court at 17150 Yonge Street, 2nd floor, Newmarket, L3Y 8V3, location code 4960, phone 905-898-0425 or 1-877-331-3309. Its prosecution office is open 8:30 a.m. to noon and 1:00 to 4:00 p.m., and you can ask to meet a prosecutor about an early resolution before a trial. A Criminal Code impaired driving charge is different: it goes to the criminal courts at 50 Eagle Street West, as our impaired driving defence page explains. A roadside warn-range suspension is not a court case at all; see what happens after a warn-range reading.

What changes the answer?

• Whether you have a lawyer. Counsel retained by the first appearance, or within four weeks of it, brings the standard 12-week adjournment (OCJ 12-week practice direction).
• The type of charge. Domestic violence case management is in courtroom 106 on Tuesdays and Wednesdays; youth cases are in courtroom 106 on Thursdays. Federal prosecutions are handled by a standing agent for the Public Prosecution Service of Canada, listed on the court's page.
• An impaired driving charge. If the accused may join Stream A or D of the Ministry of Transportation's Reduced Suspension with Ignition Interlock Conduct Review Program, counsel can ask to move the case directly into a resolution court to meet the program's 90-day deadline (12-week practice direction).
• When the charge was sworn. For charges sworn on or after June 1, 2026, out-of-custody adult cases have no more than three appearances in case management court unless a judicial officer orders otherwise (Jordan-compliant scheduling direction, Part III).
• Your election. Choosing a Superior Court trial (s. 536(2)) keeps you in the same building but moves the case to the Superior Court's trial coordinator.
• Custody. Case management for people in custody is by video or in person as a judicial officer directs, and in-custody cases get scheduling priority for trial dates.

For example: an impaired driving charge from Richmond Hill

This is a hypothetical, not a real client or a result. Suppose a Richmond Hill resident, more at ease in Farsi than English, is charged by York Regional Police with impaired driving under the Criminal Code. Police release him on an undertaking with a first appearance in courtroom 201 at 50 Eagle Street West. He first assumes the case belongs at the traffic court on Yonge Street.

He retains a lawyer the next week. The lawyer explains in Farsi that this is a criminal case in Newmarket, files a designation and appears for him by Zoom. Because the client asks about the Ministry of Transportation's ignition interlock program, the lawyer explains its 90-day deadline and what an early resolution would mean, including for his permanent resident status, before he decides anything. If the case goes to trial instead, the lawyer will request a Farsi interpreter through the court office ahead of the date.

What mistakes do people make at the Newmarket courthouse?

1. Going to the traffic court. A Criminal Code charge goes to 50 Eagle Street West, not 17150 Yonge Street.
2. Calling the wrong line. 905-853-4809 is the civil and family line; criminal is 905-853-4801.
3. Joining at 9:00 a.m. without a lawyer. The first block is for lawyers' matters; self-represented people are called later.
4. Forgetting trial readiness court. It sits on the Monday one and two weeks before the trial or preliminary inquiry.
5. Missing a date. A missed date can lead to a warrant; see what happens after a missed court date.

What can you do this week?

1. Read your release paper for the date, the courtroom and each condition, and follow every condition until a court changes it.
2. Speak with a lawyer early, so counsel is on record by the first appearance or within four weeks of it.
3. If you cannot afford a lawyer, call Legal Aid Ontario or Newmarket duty counsel well before your date.
4. Tell your lawyer if you or a surety needs a Farsi interpreter.
5. Gather your papers with our first-week checklist after a criminal charge.

Frequently asked questions

Do I have to travel to Newmarket for every date?

No. Case management dates can usually be attended by Zoom, and a lawyer can appear for you under a designation. Pleas, sentencings and trials are in person unless the court allows otherwise.

Is there a criminal court in Richmond Hill or Markham?

Not on the province's court directory. The Richmond Hill and Markham locations list Small Claims Court only, so criminal cases go to Newmarket.

Does the 12-week adjournment apply in Newmarket?

Yes. The practice direction has applied province-wide since June 2, 2025, for out-of-custody adults with a lawyer retained by the first appearance or within four weeks of it.

What happens at trial readiness court?

The court checks that a trial or preliminary inquiry is ready to proceed. In Newmarket it uses a tiered list on the Monday one and two weeks before the date, at 9:00 a.m. in week one and 10:30 a.m. in week two.

I am a permanent resident. Should I worry about a plea in Newmarket?

Get advice first. A conviction can make a permanent resident inadmissible under the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act (s. 36); read what a criminal charge means for a permanent resident.

Where does a youth case go?

Youth criminal case management sits in courtroom 106 on Thursdays. The 12-week adjournment practice direction does not apply to young persons, whose cases get more individual case management.

Getting help

Gambriani Law PC lists the Newmarket courthouse among the courts we appear in most often. We represent clients across the Greater Toronto Area, in English and Farsi, from our office at Suite 1901, 5000 Yonge Street in North York.

This page is general information about the Newmarket courthouse, not legal advice about your case. Court schedules change: check the court's own page before you go.