Glossary
In Criminal Law
Most criminal offences are “hybrid” offences. This means the Crown uses the specific facts of each case to decide if to prosecute the case as a summary offence or as an indictable offence:
- Summary offences are considered less serious. They go to the Ontario Court of Justice where the court process is simpler and faster. There is never a jury. A judge decides the case on their own. The maximum sentence is often 2 years less a day in jail, or a $5,000 fine, or both.
- Indictable offences are considered more serious. They usually go to the Superior Court of Justice where the court process is more complicated and takes longer. Some cases are decided by a jury and some by a judge. The maximum sentences range from 2 years to 14 years in prison.
The youth court process and youth sentences are different.
Someone who’s mentally capable gives informed consent when they agree to medical treatment after getting information about:
- the type of treatment
- how the treatment could help them
- risks and side effects of the treatment
- any other options for treatment
In Criminal Law
Informed consent is a special type of permission that you can give the police to search you, your home or business. For you to give permission with informed consent, you must understand:
- what the police are asking you to do
- what might happen if you agree to let them search, and
- that you don’t have to give them permission.
An inheritance is money or other property that you get from someone who has died. It can include life insurance money that you get when someone dies.
Most inheritances come from a parent, another relative, or a close friend.
Insurable employment means that you’re doing a job that’s covered by Employment Insurance (EI). Most jobs are covered if you’re an employee. This applies even if you do not have a written contract. And it does not matter how you’re paid, for example, if you get a salary or are paid by the hour. If you work for yourself, you’re usually not covered. But there are situations where you might be.
Insurable hours are the hours you worked doing a job covered by Employment Insurance (EI). You must work a certain number of insurable hours to get EI benefits. How many hours you must work depends on the type of EI benefits that you’re applying for. For example, you must usually work for at least 600 hours to get sickness benefits.
In Debt and Consumer Rights, Housing Law
Interest is a percentage fee that you pay to your creditor in exchange for the money they lend, or that you pay because you didn’t pay a bill on time. For example, you might be charged interest each month on a student loan, credit card balance, or mortgage. In addition to interest, you may also have to pay other late fees.
The amount of interest that is charged each month is usually a set percentage of the money you have been lent. The percentage is called an “interest rate”.
Interim assistance is financial help you might be able to get while you wait for the Social Benefits Tribunal to decide your appeal.
In Housing Law
An interim order is a temporary order made by the Landlord and Tenant Board. It usually lasts for a certain amount of time, until a certain event happens, or until the Board makes a final order in the case.