Glossary
Crown prosecutors, also known as prosecutors, Crown counsel, or the Crown, are lawyers employed by the Criminal Justice Branch of the Ministry of the Attorney General.
The Crown has a duty to make sure that all available legal proof of the facts is presented fairly. The Crown’s job is not about winning or losing. The Crown is an officer of the court, and a member of the Law Society of Ontario.
In Criminal Law
This form may be part of your disclosure. It is also known as a charge screening form. The form tells you how the Crown plans to deal with your charges, including:
- what kind of sentence the Crown will ask for
- whether some of your charges will be dropped if you plead guilty early
- whether you’ve been approved for diversion
This information will help you decide how you want to deal with your charges.
In Criminal Law
A curfew means that you are required to be home at certain times, usually overnight, unless you are with your surety. You may be required to follow a curfew as a condition of your recognizance of bail.
In Criminal Law
A custodial sentence is a sentence that involves a period of jail time.
In Criminal Law
When you are in custody it means that you are detained and are not free to go. You may be held in custody by the police, or by correctional officers in jail.
A conditional sentence is also considered custody, even though the restriction on your liberty occurs in the community (usually house arrest).
In Criminal Law
A custody order is a court order. It sets the terms and conditions for the people who are allowed to spend time with a child, or have custody of that child. When a person has custody of a child, they have the right to make important decisions about how to care for that child, such as the child’s education and health care.
In Criminal Law
Customer Service Resolution is a way to solve a complaint that you have with the police. The Office of the Independent Police Review Director decides whether a complaint should be resolved using Customer Service Resolution.
The process usually takes less than 45 days and is used for less serious complaints. For example, it might be used if the police were not polite or treated you unfairly.
You and the police officers or police service work together to:
- understand what happened
- share concerns
- take steps to solve the problems