Principles Of Canada's Justice System

A trial gives the prosecution and the defence an equal opportunity to present their evidence. The judge decides whether the evidence proves beyond a reasonable doubt that the accused is guilty of any or all of the charges. A basic principle of Canada's justice system is that the accused is innocent until proven guilty.
The trial begins with the prosecutor presenting the evidence against the accused. This is done by calling witnesses and introducing materials as evidence to support the charges. Each witness called for the Crown is asked questions by the Crown attorney. This is called direct examination or examination-in-chief. The defence is then given an opportunity to question the prosecutor's witness and present evidence favouring the accused.