Absolute or Conditional Discharge The Discharge is a strange type of sentence. It is given when a person is found guilty of the crime but is not convicted.  It is normally given to first-time offenders for minor crimes, or when the person’s involvement in the crime was so marginal that technically they’re guilty but aRead More

Suspended Sentence This is a type of sentence involving probation. When someone is given a suspended sentence it means that they are placed on probation for up to three years. If the person maintains good behaviour and does not violate the terms of their probation, the sentence will be complete when their probation is finishedRead More

Restitution This is a common sentence when someone is convicted of a property crime like theft, fraud or mischief. For example, if someone is convicted of defrauding a bank of $5,000, they may be required to pay this money back to the bank as restitution. The restitution is either paid through the court or directlyRead More

Jail This is the big one of course. A jail sentences is usually reserved for serious offences and for repeat offenders. The sentence begins on the day it is handed down in court. Virtually all summary offences carry a maximum jail sentence of six months, so someone sentenced to longer than that has almost certainlyRead More

Prohibitions These are a common part of criminal sentences but they’re a bit different from other sentences. A prohibition order requires someone to refrain from doing a specific activity or being in possession of certain types of property. For example, someone convicted of impaired driving is likely to be prohibited from driving a vehicle forRead More

Fees and Surcharges These are not necessarily considered part of a sentence but it is common for courts to charge fees when someone is convicted of a criminal offence. The most common is the Victim Surcharge Fee, which the federal government is trying to make a mandatory part of all criminal convictions. It’s important toRead More

Unauthorized use of credit card data (342(3)) is a hybrid offence. It is often tried summarily but it can be tried by indictment when large sums of money and multiple offences are involved. The sentence for this offence varies according to the seriousness of the offence, but it is normally limited to a fine orRead More