Generally, stealing means to grab someone else’s property as your own without the owner’s consent. It is a crime deserving of punishment. Nowadays, with the advancement of technology, it is very easy to catch a thief. CCTV camera is one of the best examples of this type of technology.
However, as like most other countries in the world, Canda has some rules regarding theft. As per the laws, there are some punishments as well like jail or penalty. So, how much jail time for stealing in Canada? Let’s know that here in this article.
Theft in Canadian Law and Jail Time for Stealing in Canada
According to Canadian law, a person must meet up some specific criteria for considering as a thief. Under the Crown Prosecutor of Canada, there are some inferences to identify an action as theft. These criteria involve-
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You have used something or tried to use something as your own, which belongs to others’ property.
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You take or use someone else’s property intentionally to steal, and you have done this without the owner’s consent.
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If you attempt to do any of these things to grab someone else’s property
But there is again classifications of it based on the punishment. For example, stealing simple or less valuable things and more expensive and pricy things are not same. So their penalties would also be different from each other.
Here go several types of stealing as well as their punishments.
Theft Under/Above $5000
Following Canadian law, a basic standard of theft is the amount of $5000. It is an average and standard amount for deciding the punishments for stealing. Stealing under $5000 is simple and deserve fewer punishments.
However, in this case, the Crown has the power to decide whether to punish the thief shortly or with a charge-sheet. If you are once accused of theft, you will surely face punishments, no matter how much or for how long.
Stealing over $5000 is so much dangerous and heinous than this one. It deserves direct and hard punishment without a second thought. Theft over $5000 refers to steal something more valuable, such as a huge amount of money, property, vehicles and so on.
That is why the punishment is more severe and hard. It takes a long time in jail. Not only the jail time, but the convict might also have to give fine of the enormous amount.
Shoplifting
Shoplifting is one of the most common types of stealing in Canada. It falls under the categories of stealing both under and over $5000. The owner of the shop faces great destruction in his business.
On the other hand, the thief gets highly benefitted as he gets his desired things without payment. If the thief steals some necessary yet less valuable goods from the shop, Canadian law considers it is stealing under $5000.
The Crown Prosecutor then decides his punishment accordingly. But if the thief steals something more valuable from the shop or takes the entire shop by his name using fraudulence, then it is a serious offence. The value of stealing remains over $5000 and the thief is taken under punishment owing to that law.
Jail Time for Theft
Jail time is a kind of punishment where the convicts have to stay locked up in jail for a short or long period. Canadian law has different time limits of staying in prison for various crimes. Stealing is one of them. It is already mentioned that there are different punishments for different types of stealing in Canada. And for this reason, jail time is also different. Such as,
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If you are accused of theft under $5000, you have to face at least six months of jail time. You might think that you need not meet any punishment as you have stolen less valuable things But you are wrong. You must tolerate punishments once you have done anything wrong. You have to stay locked up in jail for at least six months for this stealing
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In case you are a convict of taking over $5000, you have to face a more cumbersome penalty. Canadian law suggests that this type of theft deserve a long period of jail time. It might be for around 10 years or more.
Jail time is the same as the issue of shoplifting in Canada. If it falls under $5000 stealing, then jail time is still six months. And if it is stealing of over $5000, jail time is till 10 years or more.
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Conclusion
Stealing is a heinous crime. No matter it is simple or serious, it is worth punishing. The common punishment is to lock up the thief into a jail. It may be for a long or short time. But whatever it is, there is no option to escape from the punishments.