NCA Canadian Criminal Law Exam 2025 – 400 Free Practice Questions to Pass the Exam

The type of offence characterized by lesser seriousness, which includes road traffic violations, is a summary offence. Summary offences are typically less severe and carry lighter penalties compared to other types of offences, such as indictable offences. They are usually tried in a lower court without a preliminary hearing and can lead to less severe sentences, such as fines or short prison terms, often not exceeding six months.

Road traffic violations are a prime example of summary offences, as they generally involve less serious conduct that does not pose a significant threat to public safety. The legal framework surrounding summary offences allows for quicker resolutions and emphasizes efficiency in dealing with less severe breaches of the law.

Indictable offences, on the other hand, deal with more serious crimes and involve more complex legal procedures, including the possibility of a trial by jury. Hybrid offences can be prosecuted as either summary or indictable, depending on the circumstances, but they do not exclusively pertain to lesser breaches of law. Serious offences encompass a broad category of significant criminal activities, which stand in contrast to the more minor nature of summary offences. This distinction is crucial for understanding the structure of criminal law in Canada.