Glossary
In Criminal Law
Parole is a conditional release from jail. Parole allows you to serve part of your sentence in the community under the supervision of a parole officer and with conditions. If you don’t follow the conditions of your parole, the Parole Board of Canada can take away your parole and send you back to jail.
In Criminal Law
This is a court facilitated counselling program for domestic related offenders. If you have been charged with an offence against your spouse, common-law partner, boyfriend, or girlfriend, you may be eligible to enter into the PAR program. The program helps offenders to understand and avoid behaviour that leads to violence and encourages healthy relationships.
Sometimes the Crown will offer to resolve your charges by way of a peace bond upon successful completion of this program.
Sometimes you will be ordered to complete this program as part of a sentence on domestic related charges.
In Abuse and Family Violence, Criminal Law, Family Law, Housing Law, Refugee Law
A peace bond is a court order from a criminal court that requires a person to “keep the peace and be of good behaviour”. The peace bond may also contain other conditions the person must follow. For example, the person may be required to follow a “no contact” condition.
In Criminal Law
Perjury is the criminal offence of lying when questioned under oath in court or when making a sworn statement.
In Criminal Law
A plea bargain is an offer made by the Crown in exchange for a guilty plea. It’s called a “plea bargain” because, if you plead guilty instead of having a trial, you can ask the Crown to drop some of the charges against you, or you can ask for a lighter sentence.
In Criminal Law
A plea inquiry is a series of questions that you must answer before you can plead guilty. The purpose of the plea inquiry is to show the judge that:
- you are pleading guilty voluntarily and that no one has pressured or forced you to plead guilty
- you understand what it means to plead guilty, for example, that you are giving up your right to a trial and to have the Crown prove the charges against you beyond a reasonable doubt
- you are aware of what can happen to you if you plead guilty, for example, that you could go to jail and get a permanent criminal record
In Criminal Law
If you plead guilty, you accept responsibility for the crime you’re charged with. You give up your right to a trial. The Crown won’t have to prove you committed the crime.
After you plead guilty, you will have a sentencing hearing.
If you plead not guilty, you have the right to a trial where the Crown will try to prove the crime against you beyond a reasonable doubt.
In Criminal Law
This means that you deny committing the offence(s) that you are charged with. The Crown must decide to either go to trial or to withdraw the charge.
In Criminal Law
You, the Crown, or the judge can ask for a pre-sentence report. It is written by a probation officer. The report helps the judge understand your background, current situation, and future opportunities before the judge sentences you.