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ARTICLE · 29 OCTOBER 2025

White-Collar Crime 2025: Trends & Developments (Canada)

Crawley MacKewn Brush LLP
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In Canada, persons who are suspected of having engaged in fraudulent activity relating to the capital markets may be prosecuted and sanctioned in a variety of ways.

CanadaCriminal Law
Linda Fuerst
Linda Fuerst
Melissa MacKewn,
Melissa MacKewn,
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Securities Fraud in Canada: A Perilous Situation

Canadian legal landscape

In Canada, persons who are suspected of having engaged in fraudulent activity relating to the capital markets may be prosecuted and sanctioned in a variety of ways. Which procedural avenue is pursued has a significant impact on the rights of persons suspected of having engaged in the prohibited activities and on the consequences of a finding of wrongdoing.

Increasingly, provincial securities regulators are taking the lead in commencing regulatory proceedings alleging fraud under provincial securities legislation rather than laying a quasi-criminal charge or leaving it to police authorities to lay criminal charges. This may be highly prejudicial to suspected perpetrators due to:

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