CONSOLIDATED STATUTES OF CANADA
C
Criminal Code
PART XIX INDICTABLE OFFENCES—TRIAL WITHOUT JURY
General
Attorney General may require trial by jury
568. The Attorney General may, notwithstanding that an accused elects under section 536 or re-elects under section 561 to be tried by a judge or provincial court judge, as the case may be, require the accused to be tried by a court composed of a judge and jury, unless the alleged offence is one that is punishable with imprisonment for five years or less, and where the Attorney General so requires, a judge or provincial court judge has no jurisdiction to try the accused under this Part and a preliminary inquiry shall be held before a justice unless a preliminary inquiry has been held prior to the requirement by the Attorney General that the accused be tried by a court composed of a judge and jury.
R.S., 1985, c. C-46, s. 568; R.S., 1985, c. 27 (1st Supp.), s. 111.
569. [Repealed, R.S., 1985, c. 27 (1st Supp.), s. 111]
570. (1) Where an accused who is tried under this Part is determined by a judge or provincial court judge to be guilty of an offence on acceptance of a plea of guilty or on a finding of guilt, the judge or provincial court judge, as the case may be, shall endorse the information accordingly and shall sentence the accused or otherwise deal with the accused in the manner authorized by law and, on request by the accused, the prosecutor, a peace officer or any other person, shall cause a conviction in Form 35 and a certified copy of it, or an order in Form 36 and a certified copy of it, to be drawn up and shall deliver the certified copy to the person making the request.
Acquittal and record of acquittal
(2) Where an accused who is tried under this Part is found not guilty of an offence with which the accused is charged, the judge or provincial court judge, as the case may be, shall immediately acquit the accused in respect of that offence and shall cause an order in Form 37 to be drawn up, and on request shall make out and deliver to the accused a certified copy of the order.
(3) Where an accused elects to be tried by a provincial court judge under this Part, the provincial court judge shall transmit the written charge, the memorandum of adjudication and the conviction, if any, into such custody as the Attorney General may direct.
Proof of conviction, order or acquittal
(4) A copy of a conviction in Form 35 or of an order in Form 36 or 37, certified by the judge or by the clerk or other proper officer of the court, or by the provincial court judge, as the case may be, or proved to be a true copy, is, on proof of the identity of the person to whom the conviction or order relates, sufficient evidence in any legal proceedings to prove the conviction of that person or the making of the order against that person or his acquittal, as the case may be, for the offence mentioned in the copy of the conviction or order.
(5) Where an accused other than a corporation is convicted, the judge or provincial court judge, as the case may be, shall issue or cause to be issued a warrant of committal in Form 21, and section 528 applies in respect of a warrant of committal issued under this subsection.
Admissibility of certified copy
(6) Where a warrant of committal is issued by a clerk of a court, a copy of the warrant of committal, certified by the clerk, is admissible in evidence in any proceeding.
R.S., 1985, c. C-46, s. 570; R.S., 1985, c. 27 (1st Supp.), ss. 112, 203, c. 1 (4th Supp.), s. 18(F); 1994, c. 44, s. 59.
571. A judge or provincial court judge acting under this Part may from time to time adjourn a trial until it is finally terminated.
R.S., 1985, c. C-46, s. 571; R.S., 1985, c. 27 (1st Supp.), s. 203.
Application of Parts XVI, XVIII, XX and XXIII
572. The provisions of Part XVI, the provisions of Part XVIII relating to transmission of the record by a provincial court judge where he holds a preliminary inquiry, and the provisions of Parts XX and XXIII, in so far as they are not inconsistent with this Part, apply, with such modifications as the circumstances require, to proceedings under this Part.
R.S., 1985, c. C-46, s. 572; R.S., 1985, c. 27 (1st Supp.), s. 203.
Preferring Indictment
573. [Repealed, R.S., 1985, c. 27 (1st Supp.), s. 113]
Prosecutor may prefer indictment
574. (1) Subject to subsection (3) and section 577, the prosecutor may prefer an indictment against any person who has been ordered to stand trial in respect of
(a) any charge on which that person was ordered to stand trial, or
(b) any charge founded on the facts disclosed by the evidence taken on the preliminary inquiry, in addition to or in substitution for any charge on which that person was ordered to stand trial,
whether or not the charges were included in one information.
Consent to inclusion of other charges
(2) An indictment preferred under subsection (1) may, if the accused consents, include any charge that is not referred to in paragraph (1)(a) or (b), and the offence charged may be dealt with, tried and determined and punished in all respects as if it were an offence in respect of which the accused had been ordered to stand trial, but if the offence was committed wholly in a province other than that in which the accused is before the court, subsection 478(3) applies.
Private prosecutor requires consent
(3) In any prosecution conducted by a prosecutor other than the Attorney General and in which the Attorney General does not intervene, an indictment shall not be preferred under subsection (1) before any court without the written order of a judge of that court.
R.S., 1985, c. C-46, s. 574; R.S., 1985, c. 27 (1st Supp.), s. 113.
575. [Repealed, R.S., 1985, c. 27 (1st Supp.), s. 113]
576. (1) Except as provided in this Act, no indictment shall be preferred.
Criminal information and bill of indictment
(2) No criminal information shall be laid or granted and no bill of indictment shall be preferred before a grand jury.
(3) No person shall be tried on a coroner's inquisition.
R.S., 1985, c. C-46, s. 576; R.S., 1985, c. 27 (1st Supp.), s. 114.
577. In any prosecution,
(a) where a preliminary inquiry has not been held, an indictment shall not be preferred, or
(b) where a preliminary inquiry has been held and the accused has been discharged, an indictment shall not be preferred or a new information shall not be laid
before any court without,
(c) where the prosecution is conducted by the Attorney General or the Attorney General intervenes in the prosecution, the personal consent in writing of the Attorney General or Deputy Attorney General, or
(d) where the prosecution is conducted by a prosecutor other than the Attorney General and the Attorney General does not intervene in the prosecution, the written order of a judge of that court.
R.S., 1985, c. C-46, s. 577; R.S., 1985, c. 27 (1st Supp.), s. 115, c. 1 (4th Supp.), s. 18(F).
578. (1) Where notice of the recommencement of proceedings has been given pursuant to subsection 579(2) or an indictment has been filed with the court before which the proceedings are to commence or recommence, the court, if it considers it necessary, may issue
(a) a summons addressed to, or
(b) a warrant for the arrest of,
the accused or defendant, as the case may be, to compel him to attend before the court to answer the charge described in the indictment.
(2) The provisions of Part XVI apply with such modifications as the circumstances require where a summons or warrant is issued under subsection (1).
R.S., 1985, c. C-46, s. 578; R.S., 1985, c. 27 (1st Supp.), s. 116.
Attorney General may direct stay
579. (1) The Attorney General or counsel instructed by him for that purpose may, at any time after any proceedings in relation to an accused or a defendant are commenced and before judgment, direct the clerk or other proper officer of the court to make an entry on the record that the proceedings are stayed by his direction, and such entry shall be made forthwith thereafter, whereupon the proceedings shall be stayed accordingly and any recognizance relating to the proceedings is vacated.
(2) Proceedings stayed in accordance with subsection (1) may be recommenced, without laying a new information or preferring a new indictment, as the case may be, by the Attorney General or counsel instructed by him for that purpose giving notice of the recommencement to the clerk of the court in which the stay of the proceedings was entered, but where no such notice is given within one year after the entry of the stay of proceedings, or before the expiration of the time within which the proceedings could have been commenced, whichever is the earlier, the proceedings shall be deemed never to have been commenced.
R.S., 1985, c. C-46, s. 579; R.S., 1985, c. 27 (1st Supp.), s. 117.
Intervention by Attorney General of Canada
579.1 (1) The Attorney General of Canada or counsel instructed by him or her for that purpose may intervene in proceedings in the following circumstances:
(a) the proceedings are in respect of a contravention of, a conspiracy or attempt to contravene or counselling the contravention of an Act of Parliament or a regulation made under that Act, other than this Act or a regulation made under this Act;
(b) the proceedings have not been instituted by an Attorney General;
(c) judgment has not been rendered; and
(d) the Attorney General of the province in which the proceedings are taken has not intervened.
(2) Section 579 applies, with such modifications as the circumstances require, to proceedings in which the Attorney General of Canada intervenes pursuant to this section.
1994, c. 44, s. 60.
580. An indictment is sufficient if it is on paper and is in Form 4.
R.S., 1985, c. C-46, s. 580; R.S., 1985, c. 27 (1st Supp.), s. 117.
General Provisions respecting Counts
581. (1) Each count in an indictment shall in general apply to a single transaction and shall contain in substance a statement that the accused or defendant committed an offence therein specified.
(2) The statement referred to in subsection (1) may be
(a) in popular language without technical averments or allegations of matters that are not essential to be proved;
(b) in the words of the enactment that describes the offence or declares the matters charged to be an indictable offence; or
(c) in words that are sufficient to give to the accused notice of the offence with which he is charged.
(3) A count shall contain sufficient detail of the circumstances of the alleged offence to give to the accused reasonable information with respect to the act or omission to be proved against him and to identify the transaction referred to, but otherwise the absence or insufficiency of details does not vitiate the count.
(4) Where an accused is charged with an offence under section 47 or sections 49 to 53, every overt act that is to be relied on shall be stated in the indictment.
(5) A count may refer to any section, subsection, paragraph or subparagraph of the enactment that creates the offence charged, and for the purpose of determining whether a count is sufficient, consideration shall be given to any such reference.
General provisions not restricted
(6) Nothing in this Part relating to matters that do not render a count insufficient shall be deemed to restrict or limit the application of this section.
R.S., 1985, c. C-46, s. 581; R.S., 1985, c. 27 (1st Supp.), s. 118.
High treason and first degree murder
582. No person shall be convicted for the offence of high treason or first degree murder unless in the indictment charging the offence he is specifically charged with that offence.
R.S., c. C-34, s. 511; 1973-74, c. 38, s. 4; 1974-75-76, c. 105, s. 6.
Certain omissions not grounds for objection
583. No count in an indictment is insufficient by reason of the absence of details where, in the opinion of the court, the count otherwise fulfils the requirements of section 581 and, without restricting the generality of the foregoing, no count in an indictment is insufficient by reason only that
(a) it does not name the person injured or intended or attempted to be injured;
(b) it does not name the person who owns or has a special property or interest in property mentioned in the count;
(c) it charges an intent to defraud without naming or describing the person whom it was intended to defraud;
(d) it does not set out any writing that is the subject of the charge;
(e) it does not set out the words used where words that are alleged to have been used are the subject of the charge;
(f) it does not specify the means by which the alleged offence was committed;
(g) it does not name or describe with precision any person, place or thing; or
(h) it does not, where the consent of a person, official or authority is required before proceedings may be instituted for an offence, state that the consent has been obtained.
R.S., c. C-34, s. 512.
Special Provisions respecting Counts
Sufficiency of count charging libel
584. (1) No count for publishing a blasphemous, seditious or defamatory libel, or for selling or exhibiting an obscene book, pamphlet, newspaper or other written matter, is insufficient by reason only that it does not set out the words that are alleged to be libellous or the writing that is alleged to be obscene.
(2) A count for publishing a libel may charge that the published matter was written in a sense that by innuendo made the publication thereof criminal, and may specify that sense without any introductory assertion to show how the matter was written in that sense.
(3) It is sufficient, on the trial of a count for publishing a libel, to prove that the matter published was libellous, with or without innuendo.
R.S., c. C-34, s. 513.
Sufficiency of count charging perjury, etc.
585. No count that charges
(a) perjury,
(b) the making of a false oath or a false statement,
(c) fabricating evidence, or
(d) procuring the commission of an offence mentioned in paragraph (a), (b) or (c),
is insufficient by reason only that it does not state the nature of the authority of the tribunal before which the oath or statement was taken or made, or the subject of the inquiry, or the words used or the evidence fabricated, or that it does not expressly negative the truth of the words used.
R.S., 1985, c. C-46, s. 585; 1992, c. 1, s. 60(F).
Sufficiency of count relating to fraud
586. No count that alleges false pretences, fraud or any attempt or conspiracy by fraudulent means is insufficient by reason only that it does not set out in detail the nature of the false pretence, fraud or fraudulent means.
R.S., c. C-34, s. 515.
Particulars
587. (1) A court may, where it is satisfied that it is necessary for a fair trial, order the prosecutor to furnish particulars and, without restricting the generality of the foregoing, may order the prosecutor to furnish particulars
(a) of what is relied on in support of a charge of perjury, the making of a false oath or a false statement, fabricating evidence or counselling the commission of any of those offences;
(b) of any false pretence or fraud that is alleged;
(c) of any alleged attempt or conspiracy by fraudulent means;
(d) setting out the passages in a book, pamphlet, newspaper or other printing or writing that are relied on in support of a charge of selling or exhibiting an obscene book, pamphlet, newspaper, printing or writing;
(e) further describing any writing or words that are the subject of a charge;
(f) further describing the means by which an offence is alleged to have been committed; or
(g) further describing a person, place or thing referred to in an indictment.
(2) For the purpose of determining whether or not a particular is required, the court may give consideration to any evidence that has been taken.
(3) Where a particular is delivered pursuant to this section,
(a) a copy shall be given without charge to the accused or his counsel;
(b) the particular shall be entered in the record; and
(c) the trial shall proceed in all respects as if the indictment had been amended to conform with the particular.
R.S., 1985, c. C-46, s. 587; R.S., 1985, c. 27 (1st Supp.), s. 7.
Ownership of Property
588. The real and personal property of which a person has, by law, the management, control or custody shall, for the purposes of an indictment or proceeding against any other person for an offence committed on or in respect of the property, be deemed to be the property of the person who has the management, control or custody of it.
R.S., c. C-34, s. 517.
Joinder or Severance of Counts
589. No count that charges an indictable offence other than murder shall be joined in an indictment to a count that charges murder unless
(a) the count that charges the offence other than murder arises out of the same transaction as a count that charges murder; or
(b) the accused signifies consent to the joinder of the counts.
R.S., 1985, c. C-46, s. 589; 1991, c. 4, s. 2.
Offences may be charged in the alternative
590. (1) A count is not objectionable by reason only that
(a) it charges in the alternative several different matters, acts or omissions that are stated in the alternative in an enactment that describes as an indictable offence the matters, acts or omissions charged in the count; or
(b) it is double or multifarious.
CONSOLIDATED STATUTES OF CANADA
C
Criminal Code
PART XIX INDICTABLE OFFENCES—TRIAL WITHOUT JURY
General