Criminal Code (Canada)

Comprehensive criminal law of Canada

The Criminal Code (French: Code criminel) is a law that codifies most criminal offences and procedures in Canada. Its official long title is An Act respecting the Criminal Law (French: Loi concernant le droit criminel),^[1] and it is sometimes abbreviated as Cr.C. (French: C.Cr.) in legal reports.^[2] Section 91(27) of the Constitution Act, 1867 establishes that the Parliament of Canada has sole jurisdiction over criminal law.

The Criminal Code contains some defences, but most are part of the common law rather than statute. Important Canadian criminal laws not forming part of the code include the Firearms Act, the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act, the Canada Evidence Act, the Food and Drugs Act, the Youth Criminal Justice Act and the Contraventions Act.

One of the conveniences of the Criminal Code was that it constituted the principle that no person could be convicted of a crime unless otherwise specifically outlined and stated in a statute. This legal document has played a major part in Canada's history and has also helped form other legal acts and laws, for example, the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act.^[3]

Structure

Picture of the first page of the Criminal Code, 1892

• Part I — General
• Part II — Offences Against Public Order
• Part II.1 — Terrorism
• Part III — Firearms and Other Weapons
• Part IV — Offences Against the Administration of Law and Justice
• Part V — Sexual Offences, Public Morals and Disorderly Conduct
• Part VI — Invasion of Privacy
• Part VII — Disorderly Houses, Gaming and Betting
• Part VIII — Offences Against the Person and Reputation
• Part VIII.1 — Offences Relating to Conveyances
• Part IX — Offences Against Rights of Property
• Part X — Fraudulent Transactions Relating to Contracts and Trade
• Part XI — Wilful and Forbidden Acts in Respect of Certain Property
• Part XII — Offences Relating to Currency
• Part XII.1 — Instruments and Literature for Illicit Drug Use (repealed)
• Part XII.2 — Proceeds of Crime
• Part XIII — Attempts — Conspiracies — Accessories
• Part XIV — Jurisdiction
• Part XV — Special Procedure and Powers
• Part XVI — Compelling Appearance of an Accused Before a Justice and Interim Release
• Part XVII — Language of Accused
• Part XVIII — Procedure on Preliminary Inquiry
• Part XVIII.1 — Case Management Judge
• Part XIX — Indictable Offences — Trial Without Jury
• Part XIX.1 — Nunavut Court of Justice
• Part XX — Procedure in Jury Trials and General Provisions
• Part XX.1 — Mental Disorder
• Part XXI — Appeals — Indictable Offences
• Part XXI.1 — Applications for Ministerial Review — Miscarriages of Justice
• Part XXII — Procuring Attendance
• Part XXII.01 — Remote Attendance by Certain Persons
• Part XXII.1 — Remediation Agreements
• Part XXIII — Sentencing
• Part XXIV — Dangerous Offenders and Long-term Offenders
• Part XXV — Effect and Enforcement of Undertakings, Release Orders and Recognizances
• Part XXVI — Extraordinary Remedies
• Part XXVII — Summary Convictions
• Part XXVIII — Miscellaneous

History and evolution

The Criminal Code stems from a long history of legal documents. The following documents play a part in the construction and changes brought on the Criminal Code:

See also

• Criminal law in Canada
• Section 98

References

1. R.S.C. 1985, c. C-46, as amended.
2. "Précis de la Référence Juridiquede Lacour D'Appel du Québec" [The Court of Appeal of Quebec Guide to Legal Citation] (PDF) (in French). p. 18. Archived (PDF) from the original on 2022-02-19. Retrieved 2021-04-08.
3. "1892, Canada's Criminal Code". Duhaime.org – Learn Law. Archived from the original on 2020-12-16. Retrieved 2016-09-19.
4. 1892 Code, s. 5
5. 1892 Code, ss. 9–10
6. 1908 Act, s. 36
7. Robin, Laura (26 May 1982). "Laws affecting young to change". Ottawa Citizen. p. 47. Archived from the original on 1 April 2022. Retrieved 3 April 2020.
8. An Act to amend the Criminal Code, S.C. 1955, c. 2
9. 1953-54 Act, ss. 7–8
10. Young Offenders Act: Proclaimed in force April 2, 1984, SI/84-56
11. Order Fixing December 24, 2001 as the Date of the Coming into Force of Certain Sections of the Act, SI/2002-16
12. Order Fixing April 1, 2003 as the Date of the Coming into Force of the Act, SI/2002-91

External links

• Criminal Code (Department of Justice, Canada)
• Criminal Code at The Canadian Encyclopedia
• Canadian Legal Information Institute contains the CCoC in a searchable database.