Felony
Definition
A common law category for a serious offence, historically carrying severe punishment, used as a rough comparison point for a cognizable, non-bailable offence.
Related terms
- Bailable Offence
- An offence for which the accused has a legal right to be released on bail once the required bond is furnished; the...
- Cognizable Offence
- An offence for which a police officer may arrest without a warrant and start investigating without a magistrate's prior order, listed as...
- Compounding of Offences
- A statutory process by which a complainant agrees to withdraw a criminal complaint, ending the prosecution, available only for offences the legislature...
- Misdemeanour
- A common law category for a less serious offence, used as a rough comparison point for a non-cognizable, bailable offence.
- Non-Bailable Offence
- An offence for which release before trial is not a right; a court weighs the gravity of the charge, flight risk and...
- Non-Cognizable Offence
- An offence for which a police officer may not arrest without a warrant, and cannot investigate without a magistrate's order or a...
- Summary Offence
- A minor offence tried quickly without a full trial procedure, often overlapping in practice with offences that are also bailable and compoundable.