Fighting Provincial Offences Charges:

Question: How can I respond to Ontario provincial offence allegations before my court date?

Answer: In Ontario, provincial offence allegations are processed under the Provincial Offences Act and the Ontario Court (Provincial Division) rules, and while a conviction usually does not create a criminal record, it can still lead to serious fines, licence impacts, and other penalties A paralegal at DefendCharges.ca™ can help you review the ticket or summons, assess defences and disclosure options, and plan next steps for a timely, procedural response that fits Ontario Court processes If you want to discuss your situation, call (647) 559-3377 for a free 1/4 hour consultation with DefendCharges.ca™.

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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: