Meet Ian Hutchison

Ian Hutchison, Criminal Defence Lawyer

More about Ian

Ian has represented clients on criminal matters before the Provincial Court, Supreme Court, and Court of Appeal of Nova Scotia. For several years, he practiced alongside Josh Arnold, QC, one of Halifax’s most prominent criminal defense lawyers and now a judge on the Supreme Court of Nova Scotia. Then, Ian practiced with a small boutique firm in Halifax.

Throughout this time, Ian has represented clients in some of Nova Scotia’s highest profile criminal cases and established a reputation for vigorously defending his clients’ constitutional rights.

Ian’s previous criminal defence work at a law firm in United Kingdom, where he represented clients before all levels of the British courts, gives him an additional edge. In fact, Ian was the defence lawyer in the landmark case of R. v. Llewellyn Attorney Generals Reference Numbers 3 and 4 of 2005.

Legal Specialties and Certifications

Law Society of England and Wales, Stage One Member of the Criminal Litigation Accreditation Scheme

Legal Case History

Nova Scotia:

Before the Nova Scotia Provincial Court:

R. v. K.B., 2014 NSPC 23

R. v. K.B., 2014 NSPC 24

R. v. Al-Awaid, 2015 NSPC 52

R. v. Chaudhery, 2015 NSPC 93 

R. v. Buchanan, 2016 NSPC 45

R. v. Chaudhery, 2016 NSPC 3 

R. v. Sparavalo, 2017 NSPC 32 

R. v. Whebby, 2017 NSPC 83

R. v. Al-Rawi, 2019 NSPC 37

R v Lilly, 2022 NSPC 32

R v. Lynch, 2022 NSPC 44

R v Boudreau, 2022 NSPC 57

Before the Supreme Court of Nova Scotia:

R. v. Smith, 2013 NSSC 77

R. v. Callender, 2013 NSSC 95

R. v. Hartlen, 2014 NSSC 456

R. v. Neil, 2015 NSSC 67

R. v Finbow, 2017 NSSC 291

R. v MacDonald, 2018 NSSC 81 

R. v. MacDonald, 2018 NSSC 218

R. v. Cater, 2019 NSSC 302

R. v Connolly, 2019 NSSC 89

R. v Mantolino, 2019 NSSC 87

R. v PJB, 2019 NSSC 109

R. v Smalley, 2019 NSSC 32 

R. v. Arsenault, 2020 NSSC 9 

R. v. Al-Rawi, 2020 NSSC 263

R. v. Al-Rawi, 2020 NSSC 385

R. v. Al-Rawi, 2020 NSSC 386

R. v. Boutilier, 2020 NSSC 275

R. v. Cleary, 2020 NSSC 49

R. v. D.M., 2020 NSSC 195

R. v. Acosta, 2021 NSSC 343 

R. v. Chambers, 2021 NSSC 273

R. v. Glow Signs and Promotions Limited, 2021 NSSC 226

R. v. Ladelpha, 2021 NSSC 324

R. v. Lilly, 2021 NSSC 292

R. v. Marriott, 2021 NSSC 52

R v. Lilly, 2022 NSSC 138

R. v. Arsenault, 2022 NSSC 149

R. v. Arsenault, 2022 NSSC 242

R v. Lilly, 2022 NSSC 276

R v. Spencer, 2022 288

R v. Simpson, 2022 NSSC 301

R v. Slaunwhite, 2022 NSSC 308

R v. Lilly, 2022 NSSC 345

Before the Nova Scotia Court of Appeal:

R. v. S.T.P., 2009 NSCA 86

R. v. Banfield, 2012 NSCA 98

R. v. Pottie, 2013 NSCA 68

R. v. Gerrard, 2020 NSCA 85

R. v. MacDonald, 2020 NSCA 69

R. v. Al-Rawi, 2021 NSCA 6

R. v. Al-Rawi, 2021 NSCA 86

R. v. C.T.B., 2021 NSCA 58

R. v. Gerrard, 2021 NSCA 59

R. v. McNeil, 2022 NSCA 55

R v Carson, 2023 NSCA 6

Prince Edward Island: 

Before the Supreme Court of Nova Scotia:

Luo v. R., 2019 PESC 18

Ian Hutchison

Principal & Criminal Lawyer

What sets Ian apart from others in his field is his deep and thorough knowledge of an accused's rights under the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms. Knowing the Charter inside and out gives Ian the tools to argue for prosecutions to be stayed or evidence to be excluded. If you are accused of a crime, you have constitutional rights and freedoms. The strength of the prosecution’s case against you often relies on whether your rights and protections were respected and upheld during your investigation, arrest, questioning, and detainment. 

Ian has a decade’s worth of experience in defending Nova Scotians accused of a wide range of crimes, including assault, manslaughter and murder, drugs charges, DUI and other traffic charges, child pornography, financial crimes such as fraud and theft, and breaking and entering.