Crimes a simple description of various types of criminal code crimes on CanLaw

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Criminal Offences: What do the charges really mean in plain English? Lay Person's Guide to the Criminal Prosecution Process The following descriptions are for general information only. In all cases refer to the Criminal Code of Canada for precise descriptions of offences and the law itself. Need a lawyer? Please use the CanLaw Lawyer VIP Referral Services


Criminal Offences Assault Domestic Assault Sexual Assault Sexual Interference Sexual Exploitation Invitation to Sexual Touching Assault with weapon or Assault Causing Bodily Harm Aggravated Assault Theft Under/Over Possession Robbery Break and Enter Murder Manslaughter Criminal Negligence Criminal Harassment Assault Assault is legally defined as unconsented touching. The slightest intentional touch, can constitute assault if it is not consented to, by the person being touched. Domestic Assault Domestic Assault is not actually a separate charge. It is just a simple assault that is treated differently because of public policy. Sexual Assault Sexual Assault is an assault with the added element of contact for a sexual purpose. There is no longer a charge of rape, which required penetration. All that is required for this charge is an unconsented touching, for a sexual purpose. Sexual Interference Sexual Interference is the touching for a sexual purpose of a person under the age of 14. This offence has a minimum penalty of 14 days in jail, if convicted summarily or 45 days if convicted by indictment. Sexual Exploitation Sexual Exploitation is the sexual assault of or sexual interference with, or the invitation to sexual touching of a person under the age of 18, by a person in a position of trust or authority over the young person. Invitation to Sexual Touching This is the inciting, conselling, the invitation of the attempt to convince, for a sexual purpose, a person under the age of 14, to touch a person. Assault with weapon or Assault Causing Bodily Harm These are hybrid offences where weapons are used or brandished, or used to threaten a complainant or actual bodily harm is caused to the complainant. Aggravated Assault Aggravated Assault is an assault with some elevated grievous element which " wounds, maims, disfigur[ing] or by endanger[ing] the life of the complainant ". This is a strictly indictable offence, for which there is no minimum penalty and the maximum is fourteen years imprisonment. Theft Under/Over Theft is the taking of a good or service from its owner or rightful possessor. The crime or offence is divided into those offences where the value of the goods taken is over $5000 and those where the value of the goods is less than $5000. Possession Possession of Stolen Property or Property Obtained by Crime is the offence of having or possessing property which was transferred by a criminal offence such as theft, extortion, robbery etc. The accused person must know, or be willfully blind to the fact that the property was obtained by crime. Robbery Robbery is the taking of property by the use of force or the threat of the use of force. Break and Enter Break and Enter is the entrance into a building for the purpose of committing an indictable offence or the unlawful entrance into a home, house or abode. Murder Murder is the unlawful killing of a person, after planning and devising of the means to kill the person Manslaughter Manslaughter is the negligent killing of person. Manslaughter is the unlawful killing of a person by accident. Murder can also be reduced to manslaughter if the perpetrator is extraordinarily intoxicated at the time of the offence. Criminal Negligence Criminal Negligence is Gross or Extreme Negligence. It requires a marked departure from a normal standard of care or conduct which shows a "wanton or reckless disregard for the lives or safety of other persons." Criminal Harassment Criminal Harassment is a very vague offence which has become even more vague in its application. It consists of causing a "reasonable" fear in someone for the safety of themselves or their family, by repeatedly following, repeated communication with, watching or engaging in threatening conduct directed at the person or family of the person.		Production Grow Operations Possession of Narcotics/Controlled Substance Trafficking Forgery Uttering Forged Documents False Pretenses Obtain Credit by Fraud or False Pretense Threaten Death/Bodily Harm Dangerous Driving Dangerous driving causing Bodily Harm/Death Prowl by Night Solicitation Obstruction of Justice Mischief Arson Public Mischief Production Production is the manufacture of a controlled substance or narcotic. Grow Operations A grow operation is essentially the farming or the growth of marijuana. Possession of Narcotics/Controlled Substance Having or exercising control over narcotics or controlled substances unlawfully. Trafficking To traffic is to: sell, administer, give, transfer, transport, send, deliver a controlled substance or to sell an authorization to obtain a substance or to offer to do any of the preceding. Forgery Forgery is the making of a false document. Uttering Forged Documents Uttering is the use or attempt to cause the use of a document known to be false. False Pretenses A False Pretense is the representation of a false fact with the fraudulent intent to induce a person to act on the misrepresentation. Obtain Credit by Fraud or False Pretense This is the obtaining of credit by way of making a false statement. Threaten Death/Bodily Harm Making the threat to kill or harm someone. Dangerous Driving Dangerous Driving is driving a motor vehicle in a manner that is a marked departure from normal and safe driving practices. Dangerous driving causing Bodily Harm/Death This is dangerous driving with the added consequence of harming or killing a person. Prowl by Night Loitering on the property of another person, near a dwelling house and at night is a summary conviction offence. Solicitation Solicitation is communication, in a public place, for the purpose of engaging in prostitution or the obtaining of the services of a prostitute. Obstruction of Justice Is the attempt to defeat, obstruct, pervert the course of justice in a judicial proceeding. Mischief Mischief is the destruction of or the interference with the use of property. Arson Arson is the burning of property. Public Mischief Public Mischief is the causing of the police to enter into an investigation by making a false statement or false report. Additional Definitions

Understand this: Police records and files on you will never be erased. Records of every contact with you, every complaint by a neighbour, arrest, charge, acquittal, stay, discharge, diversion and conviction are kept permanently by the police regardless of the outcome.

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