Resolving Criminal Matters Prior to Trial (1:VI)

This information applies to British Columbia, Canada. Last reviewed for legal accuracy by the Law Students' Legal Advice Program on August 4, 2021.

It is important to review the elements of the alleged offence to ensure an understanding of what one is charged with.

A. Stay of proceedings

After reviewing the police report, if there is not a substantial likelihood of conviction, or it would not be in the public interest to proceed, a letter can be drafted to the assigned Crown Counsel requesting that they reconsider the charge. The contact information for the assigned Crown can be ascertained by calling the Crown Counsel office in the city in which the charge was laid. Regardless of the strength of the case, if it appears that it is not in the public interest to proceed with the charges (e.g., the accused is terminally ill), the Crown may choose to reconsider. A stay of proceedings is a decision to not proceed with the charges. A stay of proceedings appears on the accused’s Vulnerable Sector Criminal Record Check. Therefore, a stay may affect the accused’s employment if they intend to work with children or seniors.

B. Diversion / alternative measures

This option allows for a first-time offender to be “diverted away” from the court system. Although referred to as “diversion,” the program’s official name is Alternative Measures (Criminal Code, s 717).

The accused or the accused’s counsel may make a request to the Crown Counsel office to be “diverted”. In some cases, Crown may also recommend diversion. This program takes the accused out of the court system. The application itself may be made before or after a charge is laid. The diversion program is primarily designed for first-time offenders who are prepared to admit their culpability and remorse in the matter. It is advised to call Crown in advance of sending the diversion application to make sure they are open to it. Include the following in the application:

1. That the letter is Without Prejudice;
2. The circumstances of the offence, including a clear admission of all the essential circumstances of the offence;
3. The background of the accused;
4. The effect that a criminal record would have on the accused; and
5. The accused person’s feelings of remorse or repentance for the offence.

The accused must understand the concept of diversion and be prepared to speak openly and honestly to a probation officer. The accused must clearly admit to the offence and express remorse for their commission. They may also be required, and should offer in the diversion letter where applicable, to write a letter of apology, undergo anger or stress management counselling, or make restitution. These options could be considered in the letter or during meetings with the Crown.

The Crown will consider whether the accused and the nature of the offence are such that diversion is appropriate. If the Crown decides the accused is a good candidate for diversion, the file will be sent to a community worker who will review the circumstances and then discuss the matter with the accused. The accused is entitled to have legal counsel present at this meeting. If the accused admits their culpability, and the probation officer is satisfied that the accused is an appropriate candidate for diversion, the Crown will be so advised. The Crown will either enter a stay of proceedings or withdraw the charges once diversion has been completed.

The diversion process does not directly affect the ordinary procedure for remand and fixing a trial date. There is nothing inconsistent with fixing a trial date and writing a letter of application for diversion. Some judges think they should not grant adjournment “for the purpose of considering diversion,” since technically the diversion process is separate and apart from the court process. Therefore, although a pending application for diversion can be used as partial justification for applying for an adjournment, that application may not be successful and one should be prepared to move the court process forward at the same time as they are pursuing a diversion request.

See Appendix C and D for an example of an application for diversion.

C. Peace bond (s 810)

A peace bond is a court order requiring a specific individual to “keep the peace and be of good behaviour”. A peace bond is not a conviction or a guilty plea; however, a peace bond can restrict an accused person’s liberty. Under section 810 of the Criminal Code the accused enters into a recognizance with conditions; in addition to requiring that the recipient to “keep the peace and be of good behaviour”, a peace bond will also set out specific conditions intended to protect a person or a specific type of property, such as not to contact certain persons and/or not to attend a certain address or area. These conditions can last up to one year, and the length of the term can be negotiated with the Crown. Although a peace bond is not itself a criminal conviction, breaching a peace bond is a separate criminal offence.

In order for a peace bond to be imposed, there must exist reasonable grounds for the complainant to believe that the accused will cause personal injury to the complainant or their spouse or child or that they will cause damage to the complainant’s property at the time of the peace bond proceedings. Therefore, in entering into a peace bond voluntarily, the accused is conceding that the complainant has reasonable grounds for their fear. The accused does not have to admit to all of the facts in the Report to Crown Counsel. However, the accused does have to admit to sufficient facts to form a reasonable basis for the victim to fear them. If there are facts that are in dispute, discuss this with Crown first. If both sides come to an agreement, the court process is similar to a sentencing hearing in terms of the submissions that are made. For more information, see the section on Pleading Guilty, below.

Occasionally, such as when the Crown wishes to impose a peace bond and the accused does not agree, there will be a full hearing on the issue. The Crown often considers peace bonds in cases of spousal assault because of a victim’s reluctance to go to trial. At the hearing, the Crown must prove on a balance of probabilities that there are reasonable grounds for the fear. Hearsay evidence is allowed, as it goes to the informant’s belief that there are grounds for the fear (R. v P.A.O., [2002] BCJ No 3021 (BC Prov Ct)). Since there is no criminal standard of proof, the judge must look at all the evidence, and not focus merely on the absence of the offending conduct (R v Dol, 2004 BCSC 1438).

If a person breaches the peace bond, a criminal charge may be laid against the bonded person. Peace bonds are sometimes used as alternatives to criminal charges like uttering threats (Criminal Codes 264.1), criminal harassment (s 264), and minor assaults (s 266). The benefit to the accused is that formal criminal charges are dropped. The benefit to the complainant is that the no-contact condition of a peace bond addresses their concerns without raising the uncertainty and possible trauma of a trial. An accused should be advised that while a peace bond is not a criminal record, it may affect future hearings, travel outside the country, and decisions concerning custody.

D. Pleading guilty

A guilty plea is appropriate only when all of the below are true:

• diversion is not granted,
• a peace bond is not appropriate,
• the accused admits guilt,
• it appears that the Crown will be able to prove its case, and
• the accused wishes to plead guilty.

Section 606 of the Canadian Criminal Code outlines the conditions that need to be met for a court to accept a guilty plea. These include that:

• the accused is making the plea voluntarily;
• the accused understands that the plea is an admission of the essential elements of the offence, the nature and consequences of the plea, and that the court is not bound by any agreement made between the accused and the prosecutor;
• the facts support the charge.

The court has an obligation to ensure that Section 606 has been canvassed with the accused before accepting any guilty plea and should canvass these matters directly with the accused unless the accused is represented by legal counsel who assures the court that section 606 has been canvassed. Legal counsel should canvass these matters with the client prior to the guilty plea and take detailed notes of this interaction, if there is any doubt about the clients understanding of this interaction counsel should have the court canvass section 606 directly with the accused.

Applying to Strike an Entered Guilty Plea

Legal counsel should bear in mind that accused persons sometimes desire to change their plea after entering a guilty plea and may blame counsel for failing to advise them about the consequences of their plea. An accused may retain new counsel and make an application to set aside the entered guilty plea. In such a situation, solicitor client privilege will usually be set aside and the lawyer may be forced to take the stand and explain why they believed the client understood the consequences of the guilty plea. See R. v. Lam, 2020 BCCA 276 (CanLII).

The sentencing hearing can either proceed immediately after a guilty plea is entered or be adjourned to permit the parties to prepare for the sentencing hearing. For self-represented litigants, a duty counsel will assist with a sentencing negotiation with the Crown. It is generally a good strategy to talk to Crown in advance of pleading guilty about the possibility of a joint submission where both sides agree on a sentence. Most Crown Counsel will agree to a reasonable joint sentencing position and will often stay some charges on a multi-count Information in exchange for a guilty plea on others. It is important to know that the judge is not bound by a joint submission (See R. v. Anthony‑Cook, 2016 SCC 43). See Appendix E for the process of entering a guilty plea.

Consequences of a guilty plea may include, but are not necessarily limited to:

• possible inability to obtain a passport or to enter the U.S.;
• difficulty or impossibility of entering some postgraduate fields of study such as law;
• exclusion from jobs requiring bonds;
• possible use of the conviction in subsequent proceedings; and
• possible deportation if the accused is not a Canadian citizen.

E. Sentencing hearing

Before a sentence is given, the accused, or counsel for the accused, must be permitted to “speak to sentence” and make submissions to the judge that could affect the sentence. This is done primarily through counsel’s submissions.

Prior to the sentencing hearing the accused and counsel for the accused should review the Report to Crown Counsel to determine whether they agree with the circumstances of the offence as set out in that document. The Report to Crown Counsel is typically where crown counsel will read/summarize the facts of the offence from. If the accused person disagrees with a material aggravating fact summarized in the Report to Crown Counsel, that disagreement should be canvassed with Crown Counsel and, where the parties cannot agree, the party seeking to establish that (aggravating or mitigating) fact must present evidence of the disputed facts (see s. 724 of the Criminal Code for how the court determines disputed facts). Note: Sometimes this needs to be done in the moment where crown counsel summarizes an aggravating fact and the accused and their counsel realizes only then that the aggravating fact is not agreed to.

For serious offences, prior to the actual sentencing hearing the accused or counsel for the accused should consider whether the guilty person would benefit from seeking a Pre-Sentence Report under s. 721 of the Criminal Code. A Pre-Sentence Report can only be ordered after a guilty plea or finding is made. It is prepared by probations, and is considered a “neutral third party” report It is a formal report and can help or harm the interests of the accused. If the accused is experiencing mental health issues, the Pre-Sentence Report can include a psychological report. A favourable psychological report can reduce an accused’s eventual prison sentence. A psychological disorder that makes a person more likely to lose control of their emotions or impulses mitigates the moral culpability of an offender for offences where that emotion or impulse contributed to the occurrence of the offence. Where an accused person desires to obtain a psychological opinion they should consider obtaining a private psychological report from a psychologist of the guilty person’s choosing instead of a Pre-Sentence Report with a psychological component. A private psychological report commissioned by the accused person or their counsel has the advantage of being legally privileged and is only disclosed if it helps the accused. This avoids the possibility that exists with a Pre-Sentence Report that the contents of that report will suggest that the offender has limited prospects of rehabilitation, thereby supporting a lengthier custodial sentence.

Crown presents their submissions in the sentencing hearing first. Assuming that there is no substantial disagreement on the facts of the offence, crown counsel will simply blend together their summary of the facts of the offence and their position on the appropriate sentence and the accused or counsel for the accused will do the same in reply.

After hearing Crown recommendations and then defence submissions, the judge will give a sentence. For more on the substance and procedure of speaking to sentence, see Appendix E: How to Prepare for and Conduct a Sentencing Hearing.

It is important to consult sections 718 and 718.2 of the Criminal Code for the principles in sentencing that the judge will consider, and address these issues when drafting your submissions. The accused should also read up to section 743.1 of the Criminal Code before any sentencing hearing.

There tend to be two broad strategies for presenting an accused person’s circumstances. With first time offenders, this typically involves presenting the lead-up to the offence as a unique set of unusual circumstances that caused a momentary and exceptional loss of control and then showing what has changed in the life of the accused to avoid a similar set of unusual and exceptional circumstances. The accused should seek to show the court that the problem has already been cured and will not recur, and such a harsh sentence is unnecessary. With repeat offenders, it is more strategic to present the disadvantageous life circumstances, such as lack of family support or lack of employment/educational opportunities, which may have contributed to the offence being committed. The accused should then show that they have changed their outlook and is seeking to turn their life around. This involves in part an understanding of an accused person’s own situation, and an understanding of the severity of the offence.

NOTE: In cases of Aboriginal offenders, reference must be made to section 718.2(e) and the principles enunciated in R v Gladue, [1999] 1 SCR 688

F. Types of sentences

1. Absolute or conditional discharge

Discharges are outlined in section 730 of the Criminal Code:

• They are available if the accused is not subject to a minimum penalty and the offence is not one punishable with a maximum sentence of 14 years of imprisonment or more
• A discharge means that there has been a finding of guilt rather than a conviction. At the end of the discharge period, the accused has no criminal record.
• The discharge must be in the best interests of the accused and not be against the public interest.
• An absolute discharge means that the accused has no criminal record immediately upon being sentenced.
• A conditional discharge means that the accused is on probation, with certain conditions, for a period of time. If the accused follows the rules, at the end of the probation period they are treated as if there were no conviction and will not have a criminal record.
• An absolute discharge is granted immediately without terms or conditions, whereas the effect of a conditional discharge is that the accused is on probation for a period of time. This can involve a number of various conditions the accused must abide by. If the accused successfully completes the period of probation with no breaches or further criminal offences, the conviction is discharged and the offender can say they have no prior convictions. It is important to note however that an absolute or conditional discharge still requires a finding of guilt.

NOTE: Each of the sentences listed below results in a conviction and a criminal record.

2. Suspended sentences and probation

If the judge believes, having regard to the age, character and personal circumstances of the individual, that the accused can rehabilitate themselves, the judge can suspend the passing of sentence and release the accused subject to the terms of a probation order of up to three years (Criminal Code, s 731(1)(a)). This does not mean that the accused has been acquitted; at the expiry of their probationary period, the accused will still have a criminal record. This is an important difference between a suspended sentence and a conditional discharge.

The sentence is available if the accused is not subject to a minimum penalty. An accused can be sentenced to probation for up to three years. Probation means that the accused has to follow certain conditions that the judge sets. For example, the accused will have to stay out of trouble, report to a probation officer (someone who keeps track of the accused), and obey other court-imposed conditions. An order for a suspended sentence means that the courts suspend the passing of a sentence for the duration of the probation period. If a person breaches the conditions of a suspended sentence the court may extend the length of the probation period or (in rare cases) revoke the suspension of sentence and substitute a jail sentence for the suspended sentence. In addition, the breach is a new criminal offence and the accused may be convicted for a breach of the probation conditions (typically 2 or 3 days of jail time for a first offence or weeks of imprisonment for repeat offenders).

3. Fines

Under section 734 of the Criminal Code, an accused may be fined in addition to, or in lieu of, another punishment for offences punishable by imprisonment of five years or less for which there is no minimum penalty.

A fine can be ordered on its own or in addition to probation or imprisonment (but not both). An accused may be fined up to $5000 for summary conviction offences (or a hybrid offence where the Crown elects to proceed summarily), or any amount for indictable offences. Before a court imposes a fine, it must inquire into the ability of the accused to pay the fine.

4. Restitution and compensation

Restitution orders can be made as “stand-alone” orders imposed as an additional sentence (s 738 of the Criminal Code) or as a condition of probation or conditional sentence order by the court. The restitution can be ordered for the cost of repairing any property damage, replacing lost or stolen property, or any physical or psychological injuries suffered by a victim who required the victim to incur out of pocket expenses or resulted in a loss of income.

5. Conditional Sentence Order (CSO)

This is a jail sentence and occurs when a court orders the accused to serve their jail sentence in the community. It is not allowed when there is a minimum sentence of imprisonment, when there is a term of imprisonment of two years or more imposed, or where the offence involved a serious personal injury. The term “conditional” refers to rules the offender must follow in order to remain out of jail. The conditions are often similar to conditions imposed on a probation order; however, a curfew is almost always imposed. An accused that breaches any of their conditions or commits a new crime may be ordered to complete the remaining portion of the sentence in prison.

6. Imprisonment (jail)

Unless otherwise stated by statute, if the offence is a summary conviction offence (or Crown elects to proceed summarily), the maximum sentence of imprisonment is 6 months (two years less a day after December 18, 2019); and if the offence is an indictable offence (or the Crown elects to proceed by indictment), the maximum sentence of imprisonment is 5 years. There are many offences where the maximum sentence stated is in excess of 5 years. A judge has the discretion to order a sentence to be served concurrently (at the same time) or consecutively (one after the other) with any other sentence the accused is serving, or any other sentence arising out of the same transaction.

If the total sentence is two years or more, the accused will serve their sentence in a federal penitentiary. If the total sentence is less than two years, the accused will serve their sentence in a provincial jail. An accused should note that “two years” includes time already served before trial. So, a person who is sentenced to two years of imprisonment, but has served one week in jail, will not be sent to a federal penitentiary.

If a judge imposes a sentence not exceeding 90 days, they may order that the sentence be served intermittently on certain days of the week or month. The accused is released on the other days, subject to conditions of a probation order.

F. Matters ancillary to sentencing

1. DNA Data Bank

If an offender is convicted of a “primary designated offence” enumerated in section 487.04 of the Criminal Code – for example, sexual interference (s 151) and sexual exploitation (s 153) – a court must order the taking of bodily substances for the purposes of forensic DNA analysis, unless the impact on the person’s privacy would be “grossly disproportionate” to the public interest.

The court may also consider the criminal record of the offender, the nature of the offence, and the circumstances surrounding its commission. The court may also, at its discretion, make a DNA order upon conviction or discharge of a “secondary designated offence” – such as assault – but the threshold for obtaining a DNA order is higher for these offences. Once the substance is analysed, it is then entered into the Convicted Offender Index of the national DNA Data Bank. The data bank is widely used for many different types of crimes ranging from violent crimes to fraud involving impersonation.

2. Victim fine surcharge

A victim surcharge is an additional penalty imposed on convicted offenders at the time of sentencing.

In R v Boudreault, 2018 SCC 58, the Supreme Court of Canada considered the constitutionality of section 737 of the Criminal Code, which removed any judicial discretion to waive the Victim Fine Surcharge. The court ruled that a mandatory victim surcharge amounted to cruel and unusual punishment contrary to section 12 of the Charter and that “its impact and effects create circumstances that are grossly disproportionate to what otherwise would be a fit sentence, outrage the standards of decency, and are both abhorrent and intolerable.” The court decided that section 737 was not justified under section 1 of the Charter and declared that section 737 was of no force or effect. As a result, the courts have discretion to waive the surcharge in appropriate circumstances. The primary reason for waiver of the surcharge is lack of ability to pay.

The current section 737 of the Criminal Code re-introduces the requirement that judges apply the victim surcharge to all convictions and discharges. However, the court has the discretion to waive the victim surcharge in the event that it would cause undue hardship on the offender or would be disproportionate to the gravity of the offence or the degree of responsibility of the offender. Where the surcharge is waived, the court must provide reasons for doing so.

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