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)
• 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 12 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.