The Mounties and Canada?

[Spoons]

@rbroome

Are all criminal laws in Canada federal? Can Ontario pass a criminal law (a law that could result in a prison sentence) that is specific to Ontario? Or is all that handled at the federal level? ?

@Northern_Piper

Yes, provinces can pass regulatory offences, like highway traffic, wildlife, municipal offences, securities regulations, environmental offences; and those can be punished with jail sentences in extreme cases. The difference is that the offence can’t be a free-standing one, but tied to a regulatory system, like highway rules of the road, securities marketing regulation, environmental standards.

Excellent answer, Northern Piper, but I’ll put a finer point on it, if I may.

Rbroome, Ontario cannot pass a criminal law. That privilege is reserved to the federal Parliament (Constitution s. 91(27)). Criminal law is federal, which means that it is uniform across Canada. If convicted of a criminal offense, a person has a criminal record in all of Canada, not just in Ontario or Alberta, or wherever.

Provinces can enact laws that result in provincial offenses (which do not result in criminal records), and Northern Piper has addressed this. But they cannot pass criminal laws. There’s really no need to, as the Criminal Code of Canada is quite large, and encompasses pretty much every crime possible.

[Barbarian]

@chappachula

and they sing famous songs

Let me correct that for you

[Northern_Piper]

Why are Mounties associated with Canada?

Well, when was the last time you saw an FBI agent in full dress serge chasing a bear?

Mountie in red serge chasing black bear from Waterton campground captured on...