Criminal court orders

What is a peace bond?

A peace bond is a criminal court order that requires a person to “keep the peace and be of good behaviour”. This means they have to follow the rules and not get in trouble.

A peace bond can also include other conditions. For example, your partner may be required to follow a “no contact” condition where they are not allowed to contact you or your children.

Peace bonds are sometimes called “section 810 peace bonds” or “810 recognizances”. A section 810 peace bond can last for up to one year. If you need to be protected after your peace bond ends, you have to apply for another one.

Who can get a peace bond

Anyone can apply for a peace bond. And you can apply for a peace bond against anyone if you are afraid they might hurt you, your children, or your property. You do not have to be married or in a common-law relationship with the other person.

Conditions in a peace bond

A peace bond does not give your partner a criminal record. But it is a crime if your partner refuses to sign a peace bond if they are ordered to or if they do not follow the peace bond’s conditions. If your partner does not follow the conditions, you can call the police. The police can arrest them and charge them with a crime.

Applying for a peace bond

Apply for a peace bond in criminal court at the Justice of the Peace (JP) office. To find a JP, call your local court or go to ontariocourts.ca/ocj/judges-and-justices-of-the-peace.

You must tell the JP why you think you need a peace bond. You must show that you are scared for your safety, your children’s safety, or you think your partner will damage your property. And that your fear is reasonable. If the JP agrees, they send your partner a summons to come to court on a specific date.

Your partner can agree to sign the peace bond, or they can ask for a hearing. It can take a long time to have a hearing. Think about making a safety plan for you and your children to keep you safe while you wait for your hearing. See What is a good safety plan?

At a peace bond hearing, you can have a lawyer represent you in court, but you do not need to.

The JP will hear from both you and your partner. The JP looks at the evidence and decides if your partner must sign a peace bond, and if so, which conditions to include.

You can use CLEO’s Guided Pathway to apply for a peace bond. Go to guided-pathways.ca/peace-bond.

After you get a peace bond

Keep a certified copy of the peace bond with you all the time.

The police also keep a copy of your partner’s peace bond on their computer system. If you call the police, they can look up your partner’s conditions on their computer system.

What can I do if my partner is not following an order?

You can call the police if your partner does not follow a restraining order or a peace bond. A police officer can arrest your partner. But if you do not have immigration status, there may be risks if you call the police. See Will I be forced to leave Canada if I leave my partner?

You might also want to give a copy of the order to other people. For example, if there is a condition that your partner cannot contact your child, you should give a copy of the restraining order or peace bond to your child’s school or day care centre so that they can show it to the police if your partner tries to pick up your child.

Are there other options that protect me?

Victim Crisis Assistance Ontario (VCAO) is available across the province. VCAO can help you:

• make a safety plan
• gather documents to apply to the VQRP+
• refer you to other services
• give you a cell phone programmed to call 911

For more information, and to find the VCAO agency in your area, call the Victim Support Line at 1-888-579-2888, or search the online Victim Services Directory at ovss.findhelp.ca.

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