Getting a lawyer or legal advice
Information on criminal law
Preparing for a criminal trial
Picklists - Standardized wording for bail & sentence orders
Laws
Victims
On this website
Getting a lawyer or legal advice
Useful links for getting a lawyer or legal advice
- Criminal Justice Terms - plain language explanations
- Where do I start for information on Criminal Court? - summarizes a few of the most useful online resources
- Justice BC - Criminal Justice - information and services for witnesses, victims of crime and the public – including how the criminal justice system works; B.C. Corrections; bail, parole suspension; and more
- Justice Education Society criminal law - links to information and resources including how a criminal trial works, peace bonds, alternative measures, how to set a trial date and more
- If You Are Charged with a Crime - Legal Aid BC describes the court process, options. your legal rights, what a lawyer can do, how to find a lawyer, and how to get legal aid or other legal help
- Clicklaw - legal information and resources designed for the public on a variety of topics
Preparing for a criminal trial
- Representing Yourself in a Criminal Trial Legal Aid BC booklet for people accused of summary offences, guides you through basic steps before and at a trial with checklists, flow charts, glossary and sample letter
- Trial Preparation and Note Taking Skills tips on preparing for a criminal trial in Provincial Court
- How a Criminal Trial Works, from the Justice Education Society, outlines a criminal trial in Supreme Court but procedures are similar in provincial court
- Defending Yourself Against a Criminal Charge Listen to or read Dial-a-Law information about the steps in a criminal trial
- Defending Yourself Legal Aid booklets on how to defend yourself if you are charged with various criminal offences
- LSLAP Manual: Criminal Law, from the UBC Law Students Legal Advice Program, describes what happens at trial. Look in the section “Criminal Procedure.”
- Speaking to the judge before you're sentenced, if you plead guilty or are found guilty after a trial Legal Aid booklet
Picklists - Standardized wording for bail & sentence orders
Picklists are lists of standardized terms for court orders. They are available on courtroom computers so a Court Clerk can use them to quickly and accurately capture the order a judge makes. When a judge decides to change the standard wording, a Court Clerk can edit the term accordingly. Picklists include letter and number codes that help the Court Clerk find a term quickly. When a judge says a number before making an order, they are helping the Clerk find that order.
- CONDITIONAL SENTENCE Picklist, Public (Mar 2024) PDF
- CONDITIONAL SENTENCE Picklist, Public (Mar 2024) WORD
- PROBATION AND PEACE BOND Picklist, Public (Mar 2024) PDF
- PROBATION AND PEACE BOND Picklist, Public (Mar 2024) WORD
- RELEASE ORDER (BAIL) Picklist, Public (Mar 2024) PDF
- RELEASE ORDER (BAIL) Picklist, Public (Mar 2024) WORD
These picklists may be used in all BC Provincial Court locations, but local variations of “Red Zone” conditions are available for four BC cities. “Red Zone” is a colloquial term used to describe areas that people may be prohibited from entering by bail, probation, or conditional sentence orders. This document contains common Red Zone boundaries in Vancouver, Victoria, Surrey, and Kelowna:
- Local Redzone Conditions Picklists (Dec. 2019) - PDF
- Local Redzone Conditions Picklists (Dec. 2019) - WORD
- Victims and Witnesses of Crime and Violence – BC Ministry of Public Safety and Solicitor General provides information to help with legal questions and emotional effects of crime
- Victims of Crime - Government of Canada offers information and assistance including rights, roles, services, bail, trials, sentencing, parole
- National Office for Victims information and support to victims of offenders sentenced to jail sentences of two years or more.
- Attending court remotely: virtual conferences & hearings
- FAQ
- Going To Court
- Bans on Publication
- Useful Links
Updated June 24, 2020