Background for YCJA

Part C : Transfers to Adult Court

Overall, there are not many youth court cases transferred to adult court. Table C1 shows the total number of cases and the number of transferred cases for violence, property, other criminal code and drugs for 1998-9 to 1996-7. In 1998-9 there were a total of 91 cases transferred, in 1997-8 there were 79 cases transferred and in 1996-7 there were a total of 92 cases transferred.

Table C1 : Types of Cases that are transferred (Canada: 1998-9 to 1996-7)
  1998-9 1997-8 1996-7
  Total cases Transferred Total cases Transferred Total cases Total cases
Violence 22,284 54 23,711 41 21,737 52
Property 45,336 27 49,602 19 51,687 27
Other CC/YOA 34,290 9 33,021 13 31,399 11
Drugs 4,755 1 4,549 6 5,242 2
Total cases 106,665 91 110,883 79 110,065 92

Source: Statistics Canada (1997 through 2000). Youth Court Statistics. Ottawa: Canadian Centre for Justice Statistics. (Table 7).

Similar to bringing cases into court and the use of custody, there was also provincial variation in the number of cases transferred. Table C2 shows the total number of cases brought into court in Canada and the provinces and territories and the number of cases transferred from 1996-7 to 1998-9). For example Quebec transferred 23 cases, Ontario transferred six cases and Manitoba transferred 29 cases.

Table C2 : Provincial variation in the use of transfers (1998-9 to 1996-7)
  1998-9 1997-8 1996-7
  Total cases brought to court Total transfers Total cases brought to court Total transfers Total cases brought to court Total transfers
Canada 106,665 91 110,883 79 110,065 92
NFLD 2,142 1 2,197 1 2,853 0
PEI 324 0 376 0 4,58 0
Nova Scotia 3,158 0 3,472 2 3,549 0
New Brunswick 1,999 0 2,303 0 2,382 0
Quebec 11,297 23 10,881 23 11,427 26
Ontario 40,697 6 44,185 9 46,409 12
Manitoba 8,477 29 7,615 23 6,816 32
Saskatchewan 8,127 1 9,115 1 8,540 0
Alberta 17,510 20 16,579 14 15,863 10
British Columbia 11,764 11 13,059 5 10,642 11
Yukon 438 0 506 0 508 0
NWT 732 0 595 1 618 1

Source: Statistics Canada (1997 through 2000). Youth Court Statistics. Ottawa: Canadian Centre for Justice Statistics. (Table 7).