National > Criminal Code > General:How can I find the Criminal Code?The Criminal Code of Canada is a federal statute. You can find the Statutes of Canada at any public library, courthouse library, or law school library. In Canada, a number of book companies also publish annotated Criminal Codes. These are extremely useful and informative books. Usually, they will contain a very comprehensive index and list of definitions to help you find the area of criminal law you are interested in. In addition, they are called annotated because each section of the Code will have a list of cases that have been decided under that particular section. This gives the reader a chance to see how judges have interpreted the meaning of the sections, the sorts of evidence that will be necessary to obtain a conviction under that section, and exceptions or limitations to the section. This leads to a much greater understanding of the law than just reading the section of the Code. These annotated codes are written by eminent criminal law lawyers and updated every year with the latest cases. They can also be found in public, courthouse, and law school libraries. The Criminal Code is also available online from several sources, including the Department of Justice Canada.
October 2002 |
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