Chantal F. Paquette is one of Canada's foremost criminal defence attorneys — fearless in court, meticulous in preparation, and relentlessly dedicated to protecting your rights.
"Every person deserves a defence as fierce as the accusation against them."
Chantal Paquette is a Vancouver-based criminal defence trial lawyer whose practice is defined by courtroom advocacy. She started her training in criminal law in 2005 and has spent the past decade practising exclusively in criminal law. Since her call to the bar, she has built a practice grounded in trials, regularly conducting judge-alone and jury trials across a broad range of serious criminal charges.
Chantal prepares every case for trial. She is a precise and strategic advocate, known for disciplined cross-examinations and a focused, methodical approach to dismantling the Crown's case. Her trial experience includes complex cases involving credibility, expert evidence, and Charter litigation. She is particularly effective in challenging unreliable testimony, testing police conduct, and advancing targeted legal arguments that withstand scrutiny in the courtroom.
Chantal has significant experience with First Nations Court and Drug Treatment Court, and holds leadership roles within the defence bar as a Director of the Criminal Defence Advocacy Society and Chair of the Criminal Tariff Committee for the Association of Legal Aid Lawyers. She is also a Principal at the UBC Criminal Law Clinic, where she trains and mentors future defence lawyers in trial advocacy.
Chantal understands that a criminal charge affects not just the accused — but their entire family. She provides compassionate, clear guidance that walks clients and their families through every step of the complex justice system, ensuring no one faces it alone.
From the moment you are charged, the state marshals its full resources against you. You deserve a lawyer who matches that power — and exceeds it.
Trafficking, possession for the purpose, importation and production under the CDSA. Chantal challenges every search, warrant, and police procedure with surgical precision.
→Assault, aggravated assault, robbery, manslaughter and murder. When the stakes are highest, you need a courtroom advocate with proven trial experience at every level.
→Sexual assault, historical charges, and offences involving youth. Chantal navigates complex evidentiary rules to mount the most effective defence and protect your reputation.
→Securities fraud, tax evasion, embezzlement, and corruption. Chantal works alongside forensic accountants and expert witnesses to dismantle complex Crown theories.
→Unauthorized possession, carrying concealed, weapons trafficking, and firearm offences. Challenging the legality of searches and seizures that underpin most weapons charges.
→Release from custody is often the most urgent step after arrest. Chantal fights for the best possible bail terms at your show cause hearing — day or night, 24/7.
→Young persons accused under the YCJA face a unique legal framework designed to balance accountability with rehabilitation. Chantal protects young clients' futures at every stage.
→Shoplifting, break and enter, possession of stolen property, and mischief. Even charges that seem minor carry serious long-term consequences — don't face them without experienced counsel.
→If you were wrongfully convicted or received an unjust sentence, Chantal will review your entire file and pursue every avenue of appeal before the BC Court of Appeal and Supreme Court of Canada.
→Most criminal cases are decided long before the jury is seated — in the investigation, the disclosure, the motions, and the pre-trial preparation. At CFP Law, Chantal's approach is exhaustive: she reads every page of disclosure, challenges every procedural misstep, and crafts a defence strategy built specifically for your case.
Chantal leaves nothing to chance. Every witness, every exhibit, every possible Crown argument is anticipated and countered before you set foot in the courtroom.
Arrests don't happen on business hours. Chantal is accessible when you need her most — at the station, in the holding cell, or at your bail hearing the next morning.
You hired Chantal, and Chantal is who you deal with. No hand-offs to junior associates or paralegals. Your case receives the attention of a senior counsel at all times.
Violations of your Charter rights — unlawful searches, improper detentions, and police misconduct — are grounds to exclude evidence. Chantal looks for these issues in every case.
I was facing a trafficking charge that could have meant a decade in prison. Chantal found a critical Charter breach in how the warrant was obtained. The charges were stayed. I owe her everything.
Chantal advocated for a mistrial in my jury trial after there was improper Crown conduct — and won. The result changed everything. I cannot thank her enough for her tenacity in the courtroom.
Chantal won my sexual assault jury trial after other lawyers told me the case was hopeless. She was calm, strategic, and utterly fearless. She gave me back my life.
Do not wait. The decisions made in the first hours after an arrest can shape the entire outcome of your case. Chantal provides compassionate, clear guidance and will walk you and your family through every step of the process — so you never face the justice system alone. Reach out now, day or night, for a free confidential consultation.