Michael Purcell is Crown Counsel in the Complex Prosecutions Bureau of the Ministry of the Attorney General (MAG). He litigates all manner of offences before the Ontario and Superior Courts of Justice, with a focus on major cases. Prior to joining MAG, Michael served as a defence lawyer before every level of court in Ontario, as well as the Ontario Review Board and Federal Court of Canada. His practice ranged from simple to complex criminal cases, including several homicide and national security matters.
Michael teaches in the areas of criminal and national security law at the University of Ottawa Faculty of Law, and previously taught as a Contract Instructor in the Department of Law and Legal Studies at Carleton University. As Crown Counsel, Michael frequently speaks at the Canadian Police College in Ottawa and other legal education programs.
Michael currently sits on the Board of Directors of the Big Brothers Big Sisters of Ottawa. He previously served on the Board of Directors of the John Howard Society of Ottawa, where he assisted with the creation of several bail and housing initiatives.
Michael is a graduate of the University of Ottawa (JD, 2012) and University of Toronto (Hons. BA, 2008). While in law school, he was a Criminal Division Leader of the Community Legal Clinic.