Multiple sentences

If you have been convicted of more than one offence that results in a sentence to be served in custody, the court may order you to serve your sentences concurrently or consecutively.

Concurrent sentence

A concurrent sentence means that you will be held in a correctional centre for the length of your longest sentence. In other words, you will serve your two sentences at the same time. For example:

• If you have two sentences and one is for six months and the other is for nine months, your total sentence is nine months. You will serve your sentence in a provincial correctional centre
• If you have two sentences and one is for five years and the other is for six years, your total sentence is six years. You will serve your sentence in a federal correctional centre

Consecutive sentence

A consecutive sentence means that you will be held in a correctional centre for a total of all the sentence periods. In other words, you will serve one sentence at a time and one right after another. For example:

• If you have two sentences and one is for six months and the other is for nine months, your total sentence is 15 months. You will serve your sentence in a provincial correctional centre
• If you have two sentences and one is for five years and the other is for six years, your total sentence is 11 years.  You will serve your sentence in a federal correctional centre

More information

Please visit:

• Sentencing Principles and Purposes (How the Criminal Justice System Works)