Summary conviction offence

A summary conviction offence is the less serious of the two main categories of offence under Canada's Criminal Code. Summary matters are tried by a judge in provincial court, without a jury and without a preliminary inquiry, under a simpler and faster procedure than indictable offences, and they carry lower maximum penalties.

The classification has practical consequences beyond penalty: it affects limitation periods for laying a charge, the court that hears the case, appeal routes (summary conviction appeals generally go first to a superior court judge), and downstream matters such as record suspensions. Many Criminal Code offences are hybrid, meaning the Crown may elect to proceed summarily or by indictment, so identifying how the Crown has elected is an early step in analysing any criminal file.