Peace Bonds and Violence Against Women: A Three-Site Study of the Effect of Bill C-42 on Process, Application and Enforcement

Appendix B: (ACCS Data)

Peace Bond Charges and Cases by Decision, selected Provinces and Territories in Canada, 1994/95 to 1999/00
JURISDICTION : Nova Scotia Decision
Year Unit of Count Offence Total Charges Guilty Superior Court Other Stay/Withdrawn Acquitted
# % # % # % # % # % # %
1994/95 CHARGES TOTAL 1,025 100.0 418 40.8 - - 125 12.2 476 46.4 6 0.6
R.S.C. 1985 C.C.C. s. 810 960 100.0 380 39.6 - - 124 12.9 451 47.0 5 0.5
R.S.C. 1985 C.C.C. s. 811 65 100.0 38 58.5 - - 1 1.5 25 38.5 1 1.5
CASES TOTAL 894 100.0 362 40.5 - - 119 13.3 407 45.5 6 0.7
R.S.C. 1985 C.C.C. s. 810 859 100.0 340 39.6 - - 118 13.7 396 46.1 5 0.6
R.S.C. 1985 C.C.C. s. 811 35 100.0 22 62.9 - - 1 2.9 11 31.4 1 2.9
RELATED CHARGES TOTAL 131 100.0 56 42.7 - - 6 4.6 69 52.7 - -
R.S.C. 1985 C.C.C. s. 810 101 100.0 40 39.6 - - 6 5.9 55 54.5 - -
R.S.C. 1985 C.C.C. s. 811 30 100.0 16 53.3 - - - - 14 46.7 - -
1995/96 CHARGES TOTAL 1,241 100.0 72 5.8 - - 579 46.7 581 46.8 9 0.7
R.S.C. 1985 C.C.C. s. 810 1,156 100.0 34 2.9 - - 576 49.8 544 47.1 2 0.2
R.S.C. 1985 C.C.C. s. 811 85 100.0 38 44.7 - - 3 3.5 37 43.5 7 8.2
CASES TOTAL 1,090 100.0 55 5.0 - - 541 49.6 486 44.6 8 0.7
R.S.C. 1985 C.C.C. s. 810 1,042 100.0 32 3.1 - - 540 51.8 468 44.9 2 0.2
R.S.C. 1985 C.C.C. s. 811 48 100.0 23 47.9 - - 1 2.1 18 37.5 6 12.5
RELATED CHARGES TOTAL 151 100.0 17 11.3 - - 38 25.2 95 62.9 1 0.7
R.S.C. 1985 C.C.C. s. 810 114 100.0 2 1.8 - - 36 31.6 76 66.7 - -
R.S.C. 1985 C.C.C. s. 811 37 100.0 15 40.5 - - 2 5.4 19 51.4 1 2.7
1996/97 CHARGES TOTAL 1,472 100.0 158 10.7 - - 637 43.3 660 44.8 17 1.2
R.S.C. 1985 C.C.C. s. 810 1,374 100.0 111 8.1 - - 637 46.4 619 45.1 7 0.5
R.S.C. 1985 C.C.C. s. 811 98 100.0 47 48.0 - - - - 41 41.8 10 10.2
CASES TOTAL 1,315 100.0 134 10.2 - - 601 45.7 567 43.1 13 1.0
R.S.C. 1985 C.C.C. s. 810 1,266 100.0 105 8.3 - - 601 47.5 553 43.7 7 0.6
R.S.C. 1985 C.C.C. s. 811 49 100.0 29 59.2 - - - - 14 28.6 6 12.2
RELATED CHARGES TOTAL 157 100.0 24 15.3 - - 36 22.9 93 59.2 4 2.5
R.S.C. 1985 C.C.C. s. 810 108 100.0 6 5.6 - - 36 33.3 66 61.1 - -
R.S.C. 1985 C.C.C. s. 811 49 100.0 18 36.7 - - - - 27 55.1 4 8.2
1997/98 CHARGES TOTAL 1,508 100.0 76 5.0 1 0.1 665 44.1 757 50.2 9 0.6
R.S.C. 1985 C.C.C. s. 810 1,410 100.0 36 2.6 - - 663 47.0 708 50.2 3 0.2
R.S.C. 1985 C.C.C. s. 811 98 100.0 40 40.8 1 1.0 2 2.0 49 50.0 6 6.1
CASES TOTAL 1,369 100.0 56 4.1 - - 628 45.9 679 49.6 6 0.4
R.S.C. 1985 C.C.C. s. 810 1,321 100.0 32 2.4 - - 628 47.5 658 49.8 3 0.2
R.S.C. 1985 C.C.C. s. 811 48 100.0 24 50.0 - - - - 21 43.8 3 6.3
RELATED CHARGES TOTAL 139 100.0 20 14.4 1 0.7 37 26.6 78 56.1 3 2.2
R.S.C. 1985 C.C.C. s. 810 89 100.0 4 4.5 - - 35 39.3 50 56.2 - -
R.S.C. 1985 C.C.C. s. 811 50 100.0 16 32.0 1 2.0 2 4.0 28 56.0 3 6.0
1998/99 CHARGES TOTAL 1,473 100.0 103 7.0 1 0.1 722 49.0 636 43.2 11 0.7
R.S.C. 1985 C.C.C. s. 810 1,390 100.0 69 5.0 - - 721 51.9 593 42.7 7 0.5
R.S.C. 1985 C.C.C. s. 811 83 100.0 34 41.0 1 1.2 1 1.2 43 51.8 4 4.8
CASES TOTAL 1,335 100.0 88 6.6 - - 675 50.6 562 42.1 10 0.7
R.S.C. 1985 C.C.C. s. 810 1,293 100.0 63 4.9 - - 674 52.1 549 42.5 7 0.5
R.S.C. 1985 C.C.C. s. 811 42 100.0 25 59.5 - - 1 2.4 13 31.0 3 7.1
RELATED CHARGES TOTAL 138 100.0 15 10.9 1 0.7 47 34.1 74 53.6 1 0.7
R.S.C. 1985 C.C.C. s. 810 97 100.0 6 6.2 - - 47 48.5 44 45.4 - -
R.S.C. 1985 C.C.C. s. 811 41 100.0 9 22.0 1 2.4 - - 30 73.2 1 2.4
1999/00 CHARGES TOTAL 1,509 100.0 52 3.4 - - 690 45.7 764 50.6 3 0.2
R.S.C. 1985 C.C.C. s. 810 1,413 100.0 11 0.8 - - 689 48.8 713 50.5 - -
R.S.C. 1985 C.C.C. s. 811 96 100.0 41 42.7 - - 1 1.0 51 53.1 3 3.1
CASES TOTAL 1,370 100.0 40 2.9 - - 648 47.3 680 49.6 2 0.1
R.S.C. 1985 C.C.C. s. 810 1,309 100.0 11 0.8 - - 647 49.4 651 49.7 - -
R.S.C. 1985 C.C.C. s. 811 61 100.0 29 47.5 - - 1 1.6 29 47.5 2 3.3
RELATED CHARGES TOTAL 139 100.0 12 8.6 - - 42 30.2 84 60.4 1 0.7
R.S.C. 1985 C.C.C. s. 810 104 100.0 - - - - 42 40.4 62 59.6 - -
R.S.C. 1985 C.C.C. s. 811 35 100.0 12 34.3 - - - - 22 62.9 1 2.9

Source: Statistics Canada, Canadian Centre for Justice Statistics, Adult Criminal Court Survey.

.. figures not available.
- nil or zero.
-- amount too small to be expressed.

Halifax Municipal Court data are not included in tables for fiscal years prior to 1995/96.

Most peace bonds cases were moved through Family Courts, which were not on the information management system for Nova Scotia for most of this period. Thus, there is a tendency to under count peace bonds.

"Guilty" includes conditional and absolute discharges, guilty pleas, and found guilty.
"Stay/Withdraw" includes stay of proceedings and withdrawn/dismissed/discharged at preliminary.
"Other" dispositions include acquitted on account of insanity, and waived in/out of province.