Criminal Code

Marginal note:Procedure on breach of condition

• 742.6 (1) For the purpose of proceedings under this section,

  • (a) the provisions of Parts XVI and XVIII with respect to compelling the appearance of an accused before a justice apply, with any modifications that the circumstances require, and any reference in those Parts to committing an offence shall be read as a reference to breaching a condition of a conditional sentence order;

  • (b) the powers of arrest for breach of a condition are those that apply to an indictable offence, with any modifications that the circumstances require, and subsection 495(2) does not apply;

  • (c) despite paragraph (a), if an allegation of breach of condition is made, the proceeding is commenced by

    • (i) the issuance of a warrant for the arrest of the offender for the alleged breach,

    • (ii) the arrest without warrant of the offender for the alleged breach, or

    • (iii) the compelling of the offender’s appearance in accordance with paragraph (d);

  • (d) if the offender is already detained or before a court, the offender’s appearance may be compelled under the provisions referred to in paragraph (a);

  • (e) if an offender is arrested for the alleged breach, the peace officer who makes the arrest, the officer in charge or a judge or justice may release the offender and the offender’s appearance may be compelled under the provisions referred to in paragraph (a); and

  • (f) any judge of a superior court of criminal jurisdiction or of a court of criminal jurisdiction or any justice of the peace may issue a warrant to arrest no matter which court, judge or justice sentenced the offender, and the provisions that apply to the issuance of telewarrants apply, with any modifications that the circumstances require, as if a breach of condition were an indictable offence.

• Marginal note:Interim release

  (2) For the purpose of the application of section 515, the release from custody of an offender who is detained on the basis of an alleged breach of a condition of a conditional sentence order shall be governed by subsection 515(6).

• Marginal note:Hearing

  (3) The hearing of an allegation of a breach of condition shall be commenced within thirty days, or as soon thereafter as is practicable, after

  • (a) the offender’s arrest; or

  • (b) the compelling of the offender’s appearance in accordance with paragraph (1)(d).

• Marginal note:Place

  (3.1) The allegation may be heard by any court having jurisdiction to hear that allegation in the place where the breach is alleged to have been committed or the offender is found, arrested or in custody.

• Marginal note:Attorney General’s consent

  (3.2) If the place where the offender is found, arrested or in custody is outside the province in which the breach is alleged to have been committed, no proceedings in respect of that breach shall be instituted in that place without

  • (a) the consent of the Attorney General of the province in which the breach is alleged to have been committed; or

  • (b) the consent of the Attorney General of Canada, if the proceedings that led to the issuance of the conditional sentence order were instituted by or on behalf of the Attorney General of Canada.

• Marginal note:Adjournment

  (3.3) A judge may, at any time during a hearing of an allegation of breach of condition, adjourn the hearing for a reasonable period.

• Marginal note:Report of supervisor

  (4) An allegation of a breach of condition must be supported by a written report of the supervisor, which report must include, where appropriate, signed statements of witnesses.

• Marginal note:Admission of report on notice of intent

  (5) The report is admissible in evidence if the party intending to produce it has, before the hearing, given the offender reasonable notice and a copy of the report.

• Marginal note:Proof of service

  (6) Service of any report referred to in subsection (4) may be proved by oral evidence given under oath by, or by the affidavit or solemn declaration of, the person claiming to have served it.

• Marginal note:Attendance for examination

  (7) Notwithstanding subsection (6), the court may require the person who appears to have signed an affidavit or solemn declaration referred to in that subsection to appear before it for examination or cross-examination in respect of the issue of proof of service.

• Marginal note:Requiring attendance of supervisor or witness

  (8) The offender may, with leave of the court, require the attendance, for cross-examination, of the supervisor or of any witness whose signed statement is included in the report.

• Marginal note:Powers of court

  (9) Where the court is satisfied, on a balance of probabilities, that the offender has without reasonable excuse, the proof of which lies on the offender, breached a condition of the conditional sentence order, the court may

  • (a) take no action;

  • (b) change the optional conditions;

  • (c) suspend the conditional sentence order and direct

    • (i) that the offender serve in custody a portion of the unexpired sentence, and

    • (ii) that the conditional sentence order resume on the offender’s release from custody, either with or without changes to the optional conditions; or

  • (d) terminate the conditional sentence order and direct that the offender be committed to custody until the expiration of the sentence.

• Marginal note:Warrant or arrest — suspension of running of conditional sentence order

  (10) The running of a conditional sentence order imposed on an offender is suspended during the period that ends with the determination of whether a breach of condition had occurred and begins with the earliest of

  • (a) the issuance of a warrant for the arrest of the offender for the alleged breach,

  • (b) the arrest without warrant of the offender for the alleged breach, and

  • (c) the compelling of the offender’s appearance in accordance with paragraph (1)(d).

• Marginal note:Conditions continue

  (11) If the offender is not detained in custody during any period referred to in subsection (10), the conditions of the order continue to apply, with any changes made to them under section 742.4, and any subsequent breach of those conditions may be dealt with in accordance with this section.

• Marginal note:Detention under s. 515(6)

  (12) A conditional sentence order referred to in subsection (10) starts running again on the making of an order to detain the offender in custody under subsection 515(6) and, unless section 742.7 applies, continues running while the offender is detained under the order.

• Marginal note:Earned remission does not apply

  (13) Section 6 of the Prisons and Reformatories Act does not apply to the period of detention in custody under subsection 515(6).

• Marginal note:Unreasonable delay in execution

  (14) Despite subsection (10), if there was unreasonable delay in the execution of a warrant, the court may, at any time, order that any period between the issuance and execution of the warrant that it considers appropriate in the interests of justice is deemed to be time served under the conditional sentence order unless the period has been so deemed under subsection (15).

• Marginal note:Allegation dismissed or reasonable excuse

  (15) If the allegation is withdrawn or dismissed or the offender is found to have had a reasonable excuse for the breach, the sum of the following periods is deemed to be time served under the conditional sentence order:

  • (a) any period for which the running of the conditional sentence order was suspended; and

  • (b) if subsection (12) applies, a period equal to one half of the period that the conditional sentence order runs while the offender is detained under an order referred to in that subsection.

• Marginal note:Powers of court

  (16) If a court is satisfied, on a balance of probabilities, that the offender has without reasonable excuse, the proof of which lies on the offender, breached a condition of the conditional sentence order, the court may, in exceptional cases and in the interests of justice, order that some or all of the period of suspension referred to in subsection (10) is deemed to be time served under the conditional sentence order.

• Marginal note:Considerations

  (17) In exercising its discretion under subsection (16), a court shall consider

  • (a) the circumstances and seriousness of the breach;

  • (b) whether not making the order would cause the offender undue hardship based on the offender’s individual circumstances; and

  • (c) the period for which the offender was subject to conditions while the running of the conditional sentence order was suspended and whether the offender complied with those conditions during that period.