While most people will think that the often quoted statistic that 10% of Canadians have a criminal record is high, when we break down criminal records by sex it’s even more surprising. According to Public Safety Canada*, Over 23% of Canadian males age 12 and older have a criminal record. That number is much lower than females over the age of 12 at just 4.3%.

To give you an idea of just how many cases are completed in adult criminal court across Canada, 992,635 charges related to Criminal Code were made in  328,028 cases in 2014/2015. That number is actually down from a peak 5 years earlier where there were well over 400,000 cases tried.

In 2014/2015, 63% of all cases completed in adult criminal court resulted in a finding of guilt. This includes guilty verdicts, guilty pleas, and cases where an absolute or conditional discharge has been imposed.

Many People Have A Criminal Record and Don’t Know It

There are many situations where a record of criminal charges can be found through a criminal record check despite never being convicted for the offense they were charged. Any of the following can generate a “non-conviction” criminal record:

• Criminal charges withdrawn.
• Criminal charges “stayed”.
• Not guilty verdict.

So while it is completely true that an individual may not have a criminal record conviction there are still a record of arrest and/or criminal charges being laid. This is why many people get a very unpleasant surprise when applying for a job that requires a background check. This video helps non-convictions and how they relate to a criminal record.

Free Private Consultations

At Pardon Services we offer free consultations for anybody that’s looking into information about how to seal their record of non-conviction criminal record.

Please feel free to call us at (204) 453-0099, or use the contact form on this page..

*Public Safety Canada is formally known as the department “Department of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness” of the Federal government responsible for protecting Canadians and helping to maintain a peaceful and safe society.