Criminal law general resources

Criminal law declares acts to be crimes and prescribes punishment of those crimes. General resources relate to criminal law in general, that is they cover a broad range of subjects within criminal law. To find information on specific aspects of criminal law, choose from the list of keywords below.

Alberta Impaired Driving Laws

Alberta, like all Canadian jurisdictions, has provincial sanctions that apply to impaired driving in addition to criminal penalties imposed by the courts under the Criminal Code of Canada. Federal penalties for impaired driving can include driving prohibitions, fines, jail time and participation in an ignition interlock program.

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Criminal Intelligence Services of Canada

Criminal Intelligence Service Canada (CISC) is a strategically-focused organization that facilitates the timely production and exchange of criminal information and intelligence within the Canadian law enforcement community. CISC supports the effort to reduce the harm caused by organized crime through the delivery of strategic intelligence products and services and by providing leadership and expertise to its member agencies.

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Criminal Law (LawNow Magazine)

LawNow is a bi-monthly digital public legal education magazine which has been published by the Centre for Public Legal Education Alberta for almost 40 years. Its articles and columns are written in plain language and take a practical look at how the law relates to the every day lives of Canadians.In each issue, LawNow’s criminal law column takes a look at a specific topic in this area of law and explains it clearly and concisely.

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Criminal Prosecution (Alberta Crown Prosecution Service)

The Alberta Crown Prosecution Service prosecutes offences under the Criminal Code of Canada, the Youth Criminal Justice Act and provincial statutes in all courts in Alberta and is responsible for criminal appeals to the Court of Appeal and the Supreme Court of Canada. They do not handle adult drug offences. Their site provides charts of the criminal justice process for adults and for youth and answers common questions about criminal prosecutions.

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MOSAIC: Multilingual Legal Publications

The Latin American Community Council and MOSAIC, in partnership, have implemented this online multilingual legal resource to provide comprehensive and critical legal information in Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Korean, Persian, Punjabi, Spanish and Vietnamese to Canadian newcomers and community workers in British Columbia.

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National DNA Data Bank of Canada

This website section from the RCMP provides information about the National DNA Data Bank of Canada which contributes to the administration of justice and the safety of Canadians by ensuring that those who commit serious crimes are identified more quickly across all police jurisdictions in Canada while innocent people are eliminated from suspicion. Topics include: History, Privacy and Security, FAQs, Technology, Statistics and Glossary.

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Provincial Court Clerks - Criminal Division

The Provincial Court Court Criminal Clerks are able to assist in providing information for Provincial Court Criminal matters regarding jfudicial procedures, court appearance, trial dates, adkournments, outstanding warrants, summonses, subpeonas, witness fees, and payment of fines. They do not provide legal advice or handle traffic matters.

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The Criminal Complaint Process

This online tutorial created by the Legal Resource Centre explains on what it’s like in a criminal courtroom. There are often many people in a courtroom. Knowing who is who, what each person’s role is, and what is expected of you as a witness should help you understand what is going on around you.

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You've been charged with a crime: What you need to know (Alberta)

This online publication is provided by the Government of Alberta and is divided into sections including: You’ve been charged… now what?; Duty Counsel; If you don’t have a lawyer; How do you get a lawyer?; Legal Aid; Other Services; Where will the trial be?; Pleading guilty; Getting ready for trial when you have pled not guilty; What happens in court?; and Sentencing.

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