Chapter 5: The Police — Investigation, Arrest, and Bringing the Accused to Trial

A com p r e h e n s i v e se t of voc a b u l a r y fl a s h c a r d s cov e r i n g polic e pr o c e d u r e s , leg a l ri g h t s , a n d pr e-t r i a l pr o c e s s e s i n Ca n a d i a n cr i mi n a l law .

accused

The person charged with an offence; the defendant in a criminal trial.

arrest

To detain a person legally and to charge him or her with a criminal offence.

appearance notice

A legal document stating the criminal charge and the court date.

information

The starting document for a less seriou s offence.

reasonable and probable groun d s

Fact s that woul d caus e an averag e perso n to believ e beyon d a mer e suspicion.

summons

An order to appea r in crimina l court.

warrant

An orde r by a judg e to arres t the accuse d fo r liste d allege d offence s.

citizen’s arres t

Detainmen t by a civil ia n of a perso n believe d to hav e committe d a crime.

lineu p

A lin e of peop l e forme d by the polic e fo r identification.

poly g r a p h test

A tes t usin g a devic e to deter mi n e i f a perso n i s tel l i n g the trut h.

detain

To sto p a perso n fro m leaving, or to confi n e someon e.

searc h

The polic e proced u r e i n whi c h of f i c e r s l o o k f o r e v i d e n c e t h a t m a y b e u s e d i n c o u r t .

searc h warran t

A cour t or d e r au t h o r i z i n g polic e to searc h a specifi c plac e a t a specifi e d ti m e .

tele w a r r a n t

A cour t or d e r is s u e d by ph o n e , fa x , o r e-m a i l to searc h a plac e o r arres t a per s o n .

lega l aid

Lega l ser v i c e s pa i d fo r by tax p a y e r s , avai l a b l e to per s o n s un a b l e to af f o r d a law y e r .

dut y coun s e l

A gov e r n m e n t law y e r wh o pr o v i d e s lega l ad v i c e to th o s e ju s t arres t e d o r br o u g h t be f o r e the cour t .

cus t o d y

I n cri mi n a l law , ac t u a l i m p r i s o n m e n t o r ph y s i c a l det e n t i o n .

bai l hea r i n g

A hea r i n g to dec i d e wh e t h e r a n accu s e d ca n be rel e a s e d fr o m ja i l be f o r e tr i a l a n d wi t h wh a t con d i t i o n s .

rev e r s e on u s

Wh e n the bur d e n of pr o o f i s pl a c e d on the def e n c e ra t h e r th a n the Cr o w n .

un d e r t a k i n g

A doc u m e n t i n wh i c h the accu s e d ag r e e s to ap p e a r i n c o u r t a s req u i r e d .

rec o g n i z a n c e

A sig n e d gua r a n t e e by the accu s e d to ap p e a r i n c o u r t a s req u i r e d a n d to ab i d e by the ter ms .

di s c l o s u r e

Al l ev i d e n c e ag a i n s t the accu s e d th a t the Cr o w n mu s t rev e a l to the def e n c e ea r l y i n the pr o c e e d i n g s .

ev i d e n c e

An y t h i n g th a t i s us e d to det e r mi n e the tr u t h i n a cou r t of law .

for e n s i c sc i e n c e

The ap p l i c a ti o n of sc i e n t i fi c tec h n i q u e s to cr i mi n a l in v e s t i g a ti o n s .

ad j o u r n m e n t

A pos t p o n e m e n t of cou r t bu s i n e s s .

prel i mi n a r y hea r i n g

A cou r t hea r i n g to det e r mi n e i f th e r e i s en o u g h ev i d e n c e to pr o c e e d to tr i a l .

res o l u ti o n di s c u s s i o n

A pr e t r i a l mee t i n g be t w e e n the def e n c e a n d Cr o w n to tr y to res o l v e the ca s e wi t h o u t a tr i a l .

pl e a neg o t i a t i o n

A dea l be t w e e n the Cr o w n a n d the def e n c e fo r a gu i l t y pl e a to a les s e r ch a r g e a n d / o r pen a l t y .

ha b e a s cor p u s

A wr i t req u i r i n g th a t a pr i s o n e r be br o u g h t to cou r t to det e r mi n e the leg a l i t y of the con fi n e m e n t .