Recent decades have seen increasingly permissive attitudes to marijuana throughout North America, and Canada has been no exception. With Canada set to legalize the recreational use of pot across all provinces and territories later this year, many people are looking forward to the day that they can buy, grow, and consume marijuana without worrying about legal liability.
Facing a criminal charge can be a frightening experience. Not only have you likely experienced the humiliation and degradation of an arrest the temporary loss of your freedom, but you are also likely extremely concerned about the future.
A surprising number of criminal cases fall under the category of “fraud offences.” Generally speaking, fraud refers to acting dishonestly to try to wrongfully obtain something.
If you are on probation for a criminal conviction, you must be extremely careful not to violate the terms of your probation. Even a minor violation will result in revocation.
Contrary to popular belief – particularly outside of Canada – Canadian gun control laws do not make it impossible to own a firearm. In fact, they don’t even make it particularly difficult.
The short answer is yes, you can, and the consequences can be serious. If you are pulled over by police for any reason and are found to be driving on a disqualified or suspended licence, you’re in trouble.
Both local police and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police step up traffic-law enforcement efforts over Victoria Day. RCMP officers and local sheriff’s deputies are out in force.
The Canadian Government enacted the Youth Criminal Justice Act in 2003 to differentiate crimes committed by children 12 to 17 years old from crimes committed by adults. The law provides alternative methods for the police, the courts, the corrections system, and diversion programs to deal with young people who commit crimes.
If you are facing criminal charges, you might already have come in contact with the prosecutor, or perhaps one of the prosecutor’s assistants. Often, the prosecutor will take a sympathetic approach, claiming that this is all just an unfortunate situation and if we work together we can work it all out.
Canada’s Charter of Rights establishes the fundamentalright to a lawyer when you are arrested. If you are detained or arrested, you have the right to discuss your options with a lawyer without delay.