What to expect at the Toronto courthouse, 10 Armoury Street, for a criminal case

10 Armoury Street is the Ontario Court of Justice courthouse where most adult criminal cases in Toronto are heard, from the first appearance to the trial. Expect security screening at a single entrance, a courtroom set by your police division or charge type, and a schedule split into morning and afternoon blocks. Case management appearances can usually be made in person or by Zoom.

For the bigger picture of a criminal defence case in Ontario, start with our practice areas. Our page on criminal defence in Toronto covers the police divisions and the other court buildings in the city.

What is 10 Armoury Street, and what moved there?

The province opened the courthouse in 2023 to bring six Ontario Court of Justice criminal locations under one roof, along with specialty courts such as drug treatment, youth and mental health courts. It has 73 judicial hearing rooms with video equipment, and a single point of entry with electronic screening. The building was designed to be fully accessible, with barrier-free prisoner and witness boxes and signage in Braille. The full address is 10 Armoury Street, Toronto, M7A 0B9.

How does a case move through 10 Armoury Street, step by step?

Most adult cases follow the same path in this building.

The first appearance is short: the court checks whether you have a lawyer and your disclosure, then sets the next date. See what happens at a first court appearance in Toronto. The weeks after that are about the evidence, which our page on disclosure in an Ontario criminal case explains.

Next comes a Crown pre-trial between the defence and the Crown. If a judge's input is needed, the parties book a judicial pre-trial, held by video unless a judicial officer directs otherwise; see what happens at a judicial pre-trial. Some cases end early: the Crown can withdraw or stay a charge once the accused completes a diversion program, though some offences are never eligible (Crown Prosecution Manual, D. 4). Our page on diversion for a criminal charge in Toronto covers who may qualify.

If the charge allows it, you may choose a judge alone in this court or a trial in the Superior Court (Criminal Code s. 536(2)); read about the election between a judge and a jury. Our page on what each criminal case outcome means explains how cases end. After a guilty plea or finding of guilt, sentencing may wait for a probation officer's report (s. 721), covered in pre-sentence reports and victim impact statements.

When is the courthouse open?

The court offices are open Monday to Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Counter service runs Monday to Friday from 9:00 to 11:00 a.m. and from 2:00 to 4:00 p.m. The court accepts Visa or Mastercard, debit, cash, cheque and money order.

For a disability accommodation, such as an assistive listening device or real-time captioning, contact the accessibility coordinator early with your court file number, the date and time, and the type of accommodation.

Which courtroom will you be in?

Adult case management is split across several courtrooms, each handling a set of Toronto Police divisions. Go to the courtroom shown on your papers or given at your last appearance. The court's location page lists the divisions for each room; check it if you are unsure, because rooms and days change.

The Crown Attorney's office is organized the same way. Ontario's court directory lists four Crown teams by police division: West (12, 22, 23, 31, 32), East (33, 41, 42, 43), South (11, 14, 51) and Central (13, 52, 53, 54/55).

What does a day in case management court look like?

Each case management courtroom runs a fixed daily timetable split into tiers. In courtroom 201, for example, the day opens at 9:00 a.m. with case management, video remands for people in custody follow at 11:00, the court breaks at 1:00, and first appearances and self-represented matters are heard from 2:00 p.m. In courtrooms 201, 202 and 203, the day you are scheduled depends on the first letter of your last name.

The lists are long, so the court expects lawyers to speak with their clients and the Crown before the date.

Can you appear by Zoom instead of coming in?

Usually, for case management. Under the Ontario Court of Justice's mode of appearance practice direction, accused people who are not in custody, and their lawyers, may appear by Zoom or in person at a case management appearance unless a judicial officer directs otherwise. Each courtroom at 10 Armoury Street has its own Zoom meeting and the same dial-in number, 1-855-703-8985, listed on the court's page.

Without a phone or computer, you can come in person or call that number from a payphone. A judicial officer can direct you to attend the next date in person. Specialized courts, such as drug treatment or mental health court, allow Zoom, but the court strongly encourages attending in person because the supports are in the building.

A guilty plea, a sentencing and a trial are different: everyone attends in person unless the court allows otherwise. A virtual plea or sentencing needs the consent of the Crown and the accused (Criminal Code ss. 715.234 and 715.235), and a written application should reach the court at least three business days before.

A lawyer can also appear for you at many steps under a designation of counsel. See whether you have to go to court in person or your lawyer can appear for you. Our courtroom resources page keeps a copy of the Toronto Zoom details, but the court's page wins if they differ.

What if you do not have a lawyer yet?

Toronto runs a pilot, the Self-Represented Court. Since May 5, 2025, anyone without a lawyer at a first appearance in regular case management court is adjourned to courtroom 101 about four weeks later, in person: the court says it has no Zoom link. There, system navigators (who are not lawyers) explain the process, and dedicated duty counsel review the disclosure and give advice whether or not the person meets Legal Aid Ontario's financial eligibility rules. Later dates are set two weeks apart.

The pilot excludes youth cases, federal prosecutions, intimate partner violence cases in courtroom 204 and people in custody. Once a lawyer is retained, the case can be moved back to regular case management, for example by a letter from the lawyer or an email to duty counsel.

Who can you call at the courthouse?

How do you get a Farsi interpreter at 10 Armoury Street?

Court proceedings in Ontario are in English or French. Section 14 of the Charter gives an accused person or witness who does not understand the language of the proceedings the right to an interpreter, and Ontario provides interpretation in any language required in a criminal matter, including Farsi, from about 700 accredited freelance interpreters.

Your lawyer may ask for 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; here, that is the criminal line, 416-212-2701. The request gives the language, who needs it (the accused, a surety or counsel), the type of appearance, and the date and time.

This matters most at the in-person steps: a plea, a sentencing or a trial. Our guide for Persian-speaking people charged in the GTA explains how we work with clients in Farsi.

What else is heard here, and what goes elsewhere?

Since April 2, 2026, the courthouse is home to Toronto's Integrated Domestic Violence Court, where one judge manages a summary intimate partner violence charge and a related family case together. Read how the Integrated Domestic Violence Court works.

Bail hearings for people in custody are at the bail centre on Finch Avenue West. If you elect a Superior Court trial, the case moves to the Superior Court at 361 University Avenue.

What changes the answer?

• Whether you have a lawyer. Counsel retained within four weeks of the first appearance brings the 12-week adjournment (OCJ practice direction); without counsel, the case goes to courtroom 101.
• Custody. If you are held, case management dates are by video or in person as a judicial officer directs, and your lawyer can file a waiver so a remand happens without you (OCJ criminal case management notice). In-custody cases get trial scheduling priority.
• The type of charge. Intimate partner violence cases go to courtroom 204, and some qualify for the Integrated Domestic Violence Court. Federal prosecutions go to courtroom 1001 and are run by the Public Prosecution Service of Canada.
• 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 practice direction, Part III).
• Your election. Where the Criminal Code gives you a choice of court (s. 536(2)), choosing the Superior Court moves the trial to 361 University Avenue.
• Trial timing. When a trial is set, the court offers a date expected to finish the trial within 15 months of the Information being sworn, following R. v. Jordan.

For example: a first date at 10 Armoury Street

This is a hypothetical, not a real client or a result. Suppose a woman in Willowdale, more at ease in Farsi than English, is charged with theft under $5,000 and released on an undertaking. Her paper sets a first appearance at 10 Armoury Street at 2:00 p.m., with a Zoom link.

She retains a lawyer the next week. The lawyer files a designation of counsel, appears for her at the first appearance, and the case is adjourned about 12 weeks, so she does not attend. The lawyer reviews the disclosure with her in Farsi and asks the Crown whether the case suits diversion; that decision is the Crown's. Had the case gone to a plea or trial, the lawyer would have called the interpreter coordinator ahead of the date.

What mistakes do people make at 10 Armoury Street?

1. Going to the old courthouse. Adult case management left Old City Hall and College Park; check the address on the paper.
2. Joining Zoom at the wrong time. Each courtroom runs tiers; join at the time on your paper.
3. Assuming the next date is also on Zoom. A judge can direct an in-person appearance, and the Self-Represented Court has no Zoom link.
4. Waiting to hire a lawyer. The 12-week adjournment depends on counsel being retained by the first appearance or within four weeks.
5. Missing a date and hoping it goes away. A missed date can lead to a warrant. Our page on what happens after a missed court date explains the next steps.

What can you do this week?

1. Read your release paper for the date, the time, the courtroom and every condition, and follow the conditions until a court changes them.
2. Speak with a lawyer early, so counsel is retained before the first appearance or within four weeks of it.
3. If you cannot afford a lawyer, call Legal Aid Ontario at 1-800-668-8258 well before your date; the court notes duty counsel cannot guarantee same-day help.
4. If you or a surety need a Farsi interpreter, tell your lawyer now so the request goes in with notice.
5. Gather your papers using our first-week checklist after a criminal charge in Toronto.

Frequently asked questions

I lost my paper. How do I find my date and courtroom?

The court points to the Court Case Search Tool on Justice Services Online (it needs a ServiceOntario ONe-key account) and the Daily Court Lists website for today and tomorrow. If you are still unsure, contact your lawyer or the courthouse at 416-212-2701.

Can a surety get a Farsi interpreter?

Yes. Ontario says a surety who needs an interpreter in court can ask counsel to request one, or call the court office if they are coming in to end their obligation as a surety. Our page on what a surety agrees to in Ontario explains the role itself.

I am a permanent resident. Does a plea at 10 Armoury Street affect my status?

It can. A conviction can make a permanent resident inadmissible under the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act (s. 36), so immigration advice should come before any plea. Read what a criminal charge means for a permanent resident.

If the Crown withdraws my charge, is everything over?

The court case ends, but records of the charge can still exist. Our page on whether a withdrawn charge shows up on a police record check explains what remains.

What is courtroom 204?

It hears adult intimate partner violence case management: Central on Mondays and Fridays, West on Tuesdays, South on Wednesdays and East on Thursdays, with peace bonds on Monday afternoons. These cases stay out of the Self-Represented Court pilot.

Getting help

Gambriani Law PC appears at 10 Armoury Street for clients charged across the city, in English and Farsi, from Suite 1901, 5000 Yonge Street in North York. Early contact leaves time to request disclosure, book an interpreter and deal with a condition that is hard to live with.

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