Peace Bonds: When a s. 810 Resolves a Charge
A peace bond can end a criminal charge without a conviction, without a criminal record for the offence, and without any admission that you did what was alleged. Where the Crown agrees to it, it is one of the best outcomes available in criminal court — and it is deliberately structured so that nobody has to be proven guilty of anything.
What a peace bond is
Section 810 of the Criminal Code allows a court to order a person to keep the peace and be of good behaviour for a period of up to twelve months, together with any conditions the court considers desirable. The order rests on another person's reasonable fear that you will cause them or their family personal injury or damage their property. It does not rest on proof that an offence occurred.
That distinction is the whole point. You do not plead guilty. There is no trial, no finding of guilt, and no conviction registered.
How it resolves a charge
In practice the Crown withdraws or stays the charge in exchange for you entering into the bond. It is most commonly used in matters where the relationship between the parties is the real issue and a conviction would be disproportionate — minor assaults, uttering threats, harassment, and many domestic files where the complainant wants the conflict to stop rather than a record imposed. It frequently runs alongside family proceedings and emergency protection orders.
What you are agreeing to
- Keep the peace and be of good behaviour for the term of the bond.
- No contact with the named person, directly or indirectly.
- Stay away from specified addresses — home, workplace, school.
- No weapons, in many cases, with a firearms surrender.
- Counselling or programming, where the circumstances call for it.
- A monetary amount you promise to forfeit if you breach. Ordinarily no money changes hands unless a breach is proven.
Be realistic about what it leaves behind
A peace bond is not a conviction and does not create a criminal record for the underlying charge. But it is not invisible either. The existence of a peace bond, and the fact of the withdrawn charge, can appear on a police information check — particularly a vulnerable sector check — for a period afterward. That can matter for employment, for volunteering, for professional licensing and for immigration or travel. Anyone who tells you a peace bond disappears entirely is overselling it. Get advice about your own circumstances before agreeing.
Breaching it is a separate criminal offence
Breaching a peace bond is charged under section 811 and is prosecuted as an offence in its own right — with the added difficulty that a breach is often far easier for the Crown to prove than the original allegation would have been. A single text message to a person named in a no-contact condition can do it, and the fact that they replied, invited it, or wanted the contact is not a defence. The order binds you, not them.
When the Crown says no
A peace bond is discretionary, and the Crown will often decline where there is significant injury, a relevant prior record, a breach history, or a complainant who opposes it. Where it is off the table, other outcomes short of a criminal record may still be available — diversion or alternative measures, an absolute or conditional discharge, or, at sentencing, a conditional sentence. Which of these is realistic depends on the disclosure, which is why the first step is always to read the file — see what happens at a first court appearance.
Other kinds of peace bonds
Sections 810.1 and 810.2 deal with fears of specific future offences and are a different tool used in different circumstances. Courts also retain a common-law power to impose a peace bond. All of them share the same core feature: an order about future conduct, not a punishment for past conduct.
Frequently asked questions
Am I admitting anything by signing?
No. You typically acknowledge only that the other person has a reasonable fear — not that the fear is justified, and not that you did what was alleged.
How long does it last?
Under section 810, up to twelve months.
Will it show up on a background check?
It can, depending on the type of check. Ask before you agree, especially if your job, licence or immigration status depends on a clean check.
The complainant says they want contact. Can we talk?
No. Only the court can change the condition. Contact with consent is still a breach, and it is charged as one regularly.
Can I get it removed early?
You can apply to vary a condition, but the term itself generally runs its course. Twelve months of compliance is usually the shortest route to putting the matter behind you — see our assault and violent crimes page.
