If you’ve been charged with assault, a conviction can lead to both jail time and a criminal record.

An assault conviction on your record can impact your employment prospects, your ability to travel and more.

Simple Assault

Simple assault, also referred to as “common assault,” can arise from physical contact such as pushing or shoving and it is not necessary that a person was hurt. Even the threat or attempt of violence without physical contact can be considered as assault in some circumstances.

For first-time offenders, simple assault will often be treated as a summary conviction and the crown may not request jail time. However, if the assault is more serious, simple assault can be considered an indictable offence that requires a more involved court process with more serious sentences of up to 5 years in prison.