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Fighting Provincial Offences Charges: Various Cases Within Provincial Courts
Question: What are provincial offences and how are they prosecuted in Ontario?
Answer: Provincial offences are regulatory violations akin to quasi-criminal matters, aimed at safeguarding public conduct and welfare. These offences, which do not result in a criminal record upon conviction, can still lead to substantial penalties. Prosecution is conducted by a state agent following the procedural laws defined in the Provincial Offences Act, R.S.O. 1990, c. P.33. For expert assistance in handling your case efficiently, visit DefendCharges.ca and take advantage of a free 15-minute consultation. Contact us at (647) 559-3377 to start today!
Provincial Offence Allegations as Being Charges Considered as Quasi-Criminal Matters
Provincial offences are quasi-crimes or regulatory offences in that they are violation of laws enacted to regulate individual conduct for the protection of society as a whole and they are prosecuted by a Prosecutor as an agent of the state, meaning as a representative of the people; however, unlike criminal offences, upon conviction of a provincial offence a person avoids establishing a criminal record. With this said, although conviction for a provincial offence fails to establish a criminal record, the consequences for conviction of a provincial offence may still carry heavy penalties and consequences for the convicted person.
The Provincial Offences Act, R.S.O. 1990, c. P.33, as well as the Rules of the Ontario Court (Provincial Division) in Provincial Offences Proceedings, R.R.O. 1990, Reg. 200, provide the procedural law that guides the process by which offences within numerous substantive law statutes are prosecuted. The range in matters falling under the purview of provincial offences is very broad. Concerns involving provincial offences include:
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