Sentencing FAQ

Sentences don’t necessarily mean that you will get imprisoned in jail. Depending on the findings of the court and the decision of the judge, an accused person can receive a variety of sentences, not all necessarily resulting in a criminal record. The different...

An accused person may be acquitted after the trial if there is not enough evidence proving the person’s guilt. A Stay of Proceedings happens when the parties cannot determine the merits of the case, usually because of an unfair procedure such as a violation of Charter...

The chance of getting a record suspension after getting convicted due to a criminal offense depends on the type of the offence, whether it was summary or indictable, and how severe the sentence given to you was. The organization that grants pardons is the National...

Sometimes an accused may enter a diversion program as a condition to get out of a sentence. These diversion programs are available to assist criminal offenders in getting back on track with their lives. Such programs include Drug Treatment Court, Extrajudicial...

Criminal offences in Canada are divided into three unique categories. If you’ve been charged with a crime, depending on the circumstances, your case will either be classified as a summary conviction offence, indictable offence, or hybrid offence. Each classification...