What are the differences between criminal and civil law in Canada?
Criminal law punishes behaviour that offends society as a whole, although only one victim may have suffered. If someone breaks a criminal law, the state acts to punish that individual. In Canada, the Criminal Code and other statutes enacted by the federal government set out offences that are considered criminal. Three types of offences exist in the criminal court system: • Indictable offences – these consist of serious offences, punishable by jail terms of two, five, ten or fourteen years or a life sentence (an example: murder). • Summary Conviction offences – less serious offences with punishment consisting of a fine and/or six months in jail. • Hybrid offences – offences of this type can be prosecuted as indictable or summary offences, in the discretion of the Crown Attorney. The offence is presumed to be indictable until the Crown elects otherwise. The type of offence determines which procedure the court will follow in hearing the matter. For example, it will determine the kind of j
