Administration of Justice

What is Contempt of Court? Contempt of court is covered under s. 708 of the Criminal Code. Contempt of court encompasses when a person fails to attend court or to remain in attendance while in court. To be charged with contempt of court, a person must be required by law to attend court or to remain in attendance to give evidence. It is up ...

What is obstructing justice? Obstructing justice, also known as obstruction of justice, is a non-violent offence classified as an “offence against the administration of law and justice.” It criminalizes deliberate acts which seek to obstruct (or in other words interfere or hinder) the pursuit of justice. Obstructing justice is covered under s. 139 of the Criminal Code of Canada (the “Code”) and ...

What is Breach of Trust? There are two common breach of trust laws in Canada. The first breach of trust law is breach of trust by a public officer, under s. 122 of the Criminal Code of Canada (the “Criminal Code”).  The second breach of trust law is criminal breach of trust (“breach of trust”) under s. 336 of the Criminal Code. Breach of ...

What is Perjury? In Canada, perjury is the offence of willfully telling an untruth in a court after having taken an oath or affirmation. Perjury is a serious offence in Canada, it may only be tried as an indictable offence. It is criminalized under section 131 of the Canadian Criminal Code. There are multiple elements within the act of perjury. One commits perjury when ...

If you missed your fingerprints or court date, a warrant has likely issued for your arrest. If you do not have a lawyer, you will need to go to the police station to turn yourself in. The police will then decide whether to re-release you, and on what conditions. You will be charged with the criminal offence of failing to appear. Sometimes hiring a ...