I’ve been charged with Failure to Comply with my bail. What do I need to know?
Failure to Comply means that you did not follow the rules of your .
After you’re for a crime, a judge or a justice of the peace has to decide if they will give you bail.
If the judge or justice doesn’t give you bail, you have to wait in jail until your case is over. But if they do give you bail, you’ll be allowed to leave. If you get bail, the judge or justice will tell you what rules you must follow until your criminal case is finished.
The rules you have to follow are listed on your release order.
A release order can have rules about what you cannot do. For example, the order may say that you cannot:
- have or carry weapons
- go to certain places
- communicate with certain people
- leave the province or your city
- drink alcohol or take drugs
A release order can also have rules about what you must do. For example, the order may say that you must:
- live at a certain address
- be in your place of residence every night by a certain time
- attend court when you’re supposed to
- follow the instructions of your , who is a person who supervises you on bail, usually a friend or family member
You commit the crime of Failure to Comply if you break any of your bail rules on purpose. You also commit the crime if you break the rules by accident, but the accident happened because you weren’t being careful enough about the rules.
The maximum for Failure to Comply is 2 years in jail and a $5,000 fine.
If you don’t follow the rules on your release order, your bail may be cancelled. If that happens, you’ll have to ask the judge or justice of the peace for a new release order. But it is much more difficult to get a new release order if you haven’t followed the rules of your first one.