3. Go to court
Question & Answer
How do I apply for a peace bond?The first court date is usually at least 6 weeks after the summons. The summons will have the date and time of the first court date.
If the court appearance is going to happen on Zoom, the log in details and link will be given to you in advance.
At the first court date, the other person can find out why you're asking for a and what will happen next.
You also need to be in court on the first court date. If you don't go, the court might decide that you no longer want a peace bond.
In some cases, the might help you with your case. Or they might withdraw your application if they think there is not enough to continue.
If the person agrees to sign the peace bond or if you resolve your issues, there will be no peace bond . The court or the Crown might ask you asked to think about if they are available.
Mediation
In some parts of Ontario, there are mediation diversion programs available. At , you try to resolve your issues without going to court. A mediator is a person trained to help you work through your problems without taking sides. Mediators don't make decisions and they don't force you to come to an agreement. Their job is to help everyone understand the situation and try to reach an agreement.
Usually, all discussions in mediation are private. This means if you go to court, the judge will not know what you talked about.
Mutual peace bonds
Sometimes a justice of the peace or judge will suggest a mutual peace bond. Or the person you applied for an order against might ask you to agree to sign one too.
A mutual peace bond puts conditions on both you and the person you asked for the order against. For example, a mutual peace bond might say that neither of you can contact the other person.
If you're asked to sign a mutual peace bond, get legal help before you sign. If there is a mutual peace bond and you break it by contacting the other person, they can report you to police. If that happens, you might be charged with a criminal . Sometimes the other person might do things to get you to break the peace bond so they can call the police on you.
