Contraventions Act

The Contraventions Act is a statute enacted by the federal parliament of Canada. The official long title of the law, which came into force on October 15, 1992, is "An Act respecting contraventions of federal enactments" (SC 1992, c 47 as amended). The Contraventions Act and its associated regulations allow violations of minor federal laws to be prosecuted through a ticketing system rather than a formal criminal charge. Where an offence outlined in federal law has been designated by the federal government as a contravention, a police officer may choose to issue a ticket instead of laying criminal charges. Although the Act includes a full framework for federal ticketing, most of the law is not in force. Those parts that are in force provide allow provincial ticketing procedures to apply in those provinces that have signed an agreement with the federal government. To date, the Contraventions Act applies in every province but Alberta and Saskatchewan.

Because of the relative ease of prosecutions under the Contraventions Act, the Canadian Association of Chiefs of Police has recommended that simple possession of marijuana be brought under the Contraventions Act so that police officers can choose to either issue a ticket or lay criminal charges for possession.