Peace Bond
A peace bond is a court order used to keep you from committing (or recommitting) a crime. It requires you to agree to specific conditions to keep the peace. A peace bond can also be brought against you while you are in a correctional centre for a previous offence. The formal legal name for a peace bond is “810 recognizance.”
The court can order a peace bond even if you have not been charged or convicted.Possible Conditions
A peace bond imposes conditions you must follow. Conditions a judge can impose include:
- staying away from particular people or places;
- not carrying weapons;
- not using drugs or alcohol;
- obeying curfews (a specific time of the day after which certain rules apply); and
- reporting regularly to police or a probation officer.
Criminal Code - Section 810
According to section 810 of the Criminal Code:
- the court may order an 810 recognizance (peace bond) for a period not more than 24 months;
- no convictions or charges are necessary for an 810 recognizance to be ordered; and
- a section 810 recognizance is supervised like a probation order because of the threat of harm to a community or person it is intended to address.
Consequence of Disobeying a Peace Bond
If you do not obey the conditions of a peace bond, you could be charged with a criminal offence and may be placed on probation for up to three years, fined up to $5,000 and/or sentenced to jail for up to two years. An order placing you on a peace bond is not a criminal conviction, but criminal charges may be laid if you do not follow the conditions.
