dedicated defence . . .

James Buchanan, or “Jim” as his friends call him, grew up in Southern Ontario and always wanted to work in law enforcement. After graduating from the University of Waterloo in 2011 with an Honours Degree in Legal Studies, Jim accepted a contract position with the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources (OMNR) as an Officer in Algonquin Provincial Park. During his time with the OMNR, Jim became familiar with Regulatory Compliance and the Provincial Offence Court Process.

Several years later, he accepted a position with the Ministry of Transportation in Ontario (MTO) as a Transportation Enforcement Officer. He started his MTO career on the busiest commercial trucking route in North America—Ontario’s Highway 401—where he was posted at the Putnam Commercial Vehicle Inspection Facility east of London. He later transferred to Thunder Bay where he patrolled the Trans-Canada Highway in Ontario’s Northwest District for several years.

As a Transportation Enforcement Officer, Jim inspected thousands of Commercial Motor Vehicles, issued various charges, and assisted in their prosecution in Provincial Offences Court, undergoing extensive cross-examination by experienced paralegals and lawyers. Jim became so proficient in this facet of his employment that he was appointed as a Provincial Training Instructor with the MTO’s Road User Safety Division. In this role, he was responsible for developing and delivering training curriculum to all new Officer Recruits in the Province of Ontario. He trained new recruits on methods of investigation, gathering evidence, and presenting that evidence in Court. Much of the curriculum Jim designed and implemented is still in use by the MTO today. In addition to training countless MTO Officers, Jim trained numerous Officers from the Ontario Provincial Police and other municipal Police Services in Commercial Vehicle Safety Inspections and the highly technical regulatory framework surrounding them.

In 2020, seeking a new challenge, Jim resigned from the MTO to attend the Bora Laskin Faculty of Law in Thunder Bay. He completed his Law Practice Placement at a Criminal Defence Firm and was called to the Bar of Ontario in 2023. Following his call, he continued to work in Criminal Defence in Thunder Bay where he took on a large compliment of clients charged with Provincial/Regulatory offences, including many CVOR-Related matters.

Jim has recently relocated to St. Thomas with his family and he’s looking to put his enforcement and legal experience to work for the trucking industry in Southwestern Ontario.

If you have a ticket that could affect your CVOR—DO NOT PLEAD GUILTY until speaking with a licensed legal professional with experience in CVOR-related charges!

If you’re not one of the many Professional Truck Drivers that keep this country moving every day, but are facing charges under the Highway Traffic Act, Liquor Licence and Control Act, Fish and Wildlife Conservation Act, or any similar legislation, don’t worry—Jim takes on those matters too!

In addition to his Regulatory Defence practice, Jim also defends a wide range of Criminal Charges in London and surrounding areas.

Call, text, or E-Mail BUCHANAN LAW for a free, no-obligation consultation.

You don’t have to navigate the legal process alone—Let’s work through this together.