The Court Decision - Information for Witnesses

Once the court has heard all of the evidence and Crown counsel and defence counsel have made their final statements, a decision is made about whether the accused is guilty of committing the crime.

If it is a jury trial, the jury will decide whether the evidence supports a conviction. The judge will decide any questions of law. If there is no jury for the trial the judge will make all of the decisions.

Sentencing

A sentence is the punishment given to a person convicted of a crime. The sentence may include an order for community supervision, time in custody, probation orders, with terms preventing the offender from contacting or communicating with the victim. Visit Sentencing for more information.

Requesting Information about the Offender

As a witness, you may be able to ask for information about the sentence received by the offender. To find out more, please call VictimLinkBC or the Victim Safety Unit.

When Court is Finished - Help and Support is Available

Help and support are available to you as a witness of crime, even after the court process is finished. To learn more, visit Court Decision (Victim).

More Information

For more information, please visit:

• Court Decision (Victim)
• Victim or Witness