Voir la source de Méfait public (infraction)

[[en:Public Mischief (Offence)]]
{{Currency2|January|2017}}
{{LevelZero}}{{HeaderOffences}}
{{OffenceBox 
|OffenceTitle=Public Mischief 
|OffencePage=Public Mischief 
|Section=140 |Act={{OBCCC}} 
|CrownElection= {{OBHybridElection}}  
|Jurisdiction={{OBJurisdictionAll}} 
|Bail= {{OBBailAll}} 
|SummaryDisp= {{OBDispAll}} 
|SummaryMin= {{OBMinNone}} 
|SummaryMax= {{OBSConviction}}
|IndictableDisp= {{OBDispSame}} 
|IndictableMin= {{OBMinNone}} 
|IndictableMax= {{OBTime|5 years}} }}

==Overview==
{{OverviewIV|public mischief}}

; Pleadings
{{PleadingsHeader-N}}
{{PleadingsHybridList-N|s. 140 {{DescrSec|140}} | {{Yes}} | {{Yes-IfCrown}}| {{No-Under14}} }}
{{PleadingsEnd}}

{{PleadingsHybridElection-Under14|s. 140 {{DescrSec|140}} }}

; Release
{{ReleaseHeader}}
|s. 140 {{DescrSec|140}} || {{ReleaseProfile-Hybrid}} 
|-
{{ReleaseEnd}}

{{ReleaseOptions-Hybrid|s. 140 {{DescrSec|140}}}}

:''<u>Reverse Onus Bail</u>''
{{ReverseOnusCirc}}

:''Fingerprints and Photos''
{{IDCriminalAct|s. 140 {{DescrSec|140}}}}

; Publication Bans
{{GeneralPubBan}}

; Offence Designations
{{DesignationHeader}}
|-
|s. 140 {{DescrSec|140}} || {{XMark}} <!--wire--> || {{XMark}} <!--DO-->||{{XMark-Under10}} <!--SPIO--> || {{XMark}} <!--consent--> || {{XMark}} <!--IRPA-->
{{DesignationEnd}}
{{SeeBelowForAncillary}}

==Offence Wording==

{{quotation2|
; Public mischief
140 (1) Every one commits public mischief who, with intent to mislead, causes a peace officer to enter on or continue an investigation by
:(a) making a false statement that accuses some other person of having committed an offence;
:(b) doing anything intended to cause some other person to be suspected of having committed an offence that the other person has not committed, or to divert suspicion from himself;
:(c) reporting that an offence has been committed when it has not been committed; or
:(d) reporting or in any other way making it known or causing it to be made known that he or some other person has died when he or that other person has not died.<br>
; Punishment
(2) Every one who commits public mischief
:(a) is guilty of an indictable offence and liable to imprisonment for a term not exceeding five years; or
:(b) is guilty of an offence punishable on summary conviction.
<br>
R.S., {{LegHistory80s|1985, c. C-46}}, s. 140; R.S., {{LegHistory80s|1985, c. 27 (1st Supp.)}}, s. 19.
|{{CCCSec2|140}} 
|{{NoteUp|140|1|2}}
}}

===Draft Form of Charges===
{{seealso|Draft Form of Charges}}
{{DraftHeader}}
|-
| 140(1)(a) 
| public mischief
|"{{ellipsis1}}, did, with intent to mislead, unlawfully cause Cst. [name1], a peace officer, to enter on or continue an investigation by making a false statement that accused [name2] of having committed an offence, to wit: [offence], thereby commit public mischief contrary to section 140(1)(a){{CCC}}.
|-
| 140(1)(b) 
| 
|"{{ellipsis1}}, did, with intent to mislead, cause the Cst. [name1], a peace officer, to enter on or continue an investigation by [conduct], which was intended to cause [name2] to be suspected of having committed an offence which [name2] had not committed or with the intention of diverting suspicion from himself or herself, to wit: [conduct], thereby commit public mischief contrary to Section 140(1)(b) of the Criminal Code
|-
| 140(1)(c) 
| 
|"{{ellipsis1}}, ... thereby commit public mischief contrary to Section 140(1)(c) of the Criminal Code
|-
| 140(1)(d) 
| 
|"{{ellipsis1}}, ...  thereby commit public mischief contrary to Section 140(1)(d) of the Criminal Code
{{DraftEnd}}

==Proof of the Offence==
{{ElementHeader}}
{{ElementLeft}}

{{Proving|public mischief|140}}<ref>
{{CanLIIRP|Kovac-Rail|53w2|2000 BCSC 167 (CanLII)|BCTC 58}}{{perBCSC|Bouck J}}{{atL|53w2|18}}</ref>
{{InitialElements}}
# {{box}} the culprit conveyed information to a peace officer, directly or indirectly, by words, writing, or conduct
# {{box}} the information conveyed was a "false statement"
# {{box}} the culprit caused the "peace officer to enter or continue an investigation" by doing one of the following:
## {{box}} "making a false statement that accuses some other person of having committed an offence";
## {{box}} "doing anything intended to cause some other person to be suspected of having committed an offence that the other person has not committed, or to divert suspicion from himself";
## {{box}} "reporting that an offence has been committed when it has not been committed"; or
## {{box}} "reporting or in any other way making it known or causing it to be made known that he or some other person has died when he or that other person has not died."
# {{box}} the culprit intended to mislead.

{{ElementEnd}}

==Interpretation of the Offence==
Public mischief consists of causing a peace officer to begin or continue an investigation.

There are largely two "categories" of mischief under s. 140(1)(c). There is false accusations against an anonymous individual so as to evade liability and then there is false accusations against an identified individual for purposes of revenge or punishment.<ref>
{{CanLIIRP|Delacruz|2b0wf|2010 ONSC 3060 (CanLII)|[2010] OJ No 2425 (Ont. SCJ)}}{{perONSC|Baltman J}} - sentencing, not a pronouncement of an essential element (-ed.)
</ref>

The report does not need to be made directly to police. Other agents of the state will likely suffice.<ref>
{{CanLIIRP|Delacruz|275b4|2009 CanLII 72072 (ONSC)|249 CCC (3d) 501}}{{perONSC|Baltman J}}, aff'd at {{CanLII|fvvdp|2013 ONCA 61 (CanLII)}}{{TheCourtONCA}}{{atL|fvvdp|28}}<br>
</ref>

; Purpose
The purpose of the offence of public mischief is to "protect innocent persons 'from the grievous and fearful consequences that can flow from false accusations."<ref>
{{supra1|Delacruz}} (ONSC){{atL|275b4|11}}<br>
{{CanLIIRP|JJ|g9dnc|1988 CanLII 7099 (ON CA)|[1988] OJ No 1247}}{{perONCA|Cory JA}}{{atL|g9dnc|14}}<Br>
</ref>

Section 140(1)(b) intends to "protect the integrity and efficiency of police investigations into crime."<ref>
{{CanLIIRx|Thompson|gws5x|2016 NSPC 75 (CanLII)}}{{perNSPC|Derrick J}}{{atL|gws5x|32}}<br>
</ref>

; Subject Matter of Diversion
Under s. 140(1)(b) it is not necessary to prove that the diversion was away from the accused himself. Any false statement will do.<ref>
{{ibid1|Thompson}}{{atL|gws5x|32}}<br>
</ref>

; "Offence"
"Offence" can mean both Criminal Code offences as well as provincial offences of a penal nature. <ref> 
{{CanLIIRP|Howard|g1k64|1971 CanLII 370 (ON CA)| CCC (2d) 211 (Ont.CA)}}{{perONCA|Gale CJ}}</ref>

; "Reporting"
"Reporting" is not restricted to reporting to police and can include others such as Children's Aid.<ref>
{{CanLIIRx|Delacruz|fvvdp|2013 ONCA 61 (CanLII)}}{{TheCourtONCA}} upholding {{CanLII|275b4|2009 CanLII 72072 (ON SC)|249 CCC (3d) 501}}{{perONSC|Baltman J}}</ref>

; Actual Investigation Not Needed
The accused can be convicted of attempted public mischief where the officer receiving the report does not undertake an investigation because the accused is not believed.<ref>
{{CanLIIRP|Whalen|htzhs|1977 CanLII 1953 (BC PC)|34 CCC (2d) 557 (BCPC)}}{{perBCPC|Barnett J}}</ref>

; Voluntariness Voir Dire Not Necessary
There is no need for a voluntariness ''voir dire'' to determine if a statement was made to a police officer in order to make out the offence.<ref>
{{CanLIIRP|Stapleton|g9p0g|1982 CanLII 3331 (ON CA)|66 CCC (2d) 231}}{{perONCA-H|Martin JA}}<br>
</ref>

; "Statement"
Section 118 defines "statement" as meaning "an assertion of fact, opinion, belief or knowledge, whether material or not and whether admissible or not".

; Sufficiency of Charge
Section 585 states:

{{quotation3|
; Sufficiency of count charging perjury, etc.
585. No count that charges
:(a) perjury,
:(b) the making of a false oath or a false statement,
:(c) fabricating evidence, or
:(d) procuring the commission of an offence mentioned in paragraph (a), (b) or (c),

is insufficient by reason only that it does not state the nature of the authority of the tribunal before which the oath or statement was taken or made, or the subject of the inquiry, or the words used or the evidence fabricated, or that it does not expressly negative the truth of the words used.
<br>
R.S., {{LegHistory80s|1985, c. C-46}}, s. 585; {{LegHistory90s|1992, c. 1}}, s. 60(F).
|{{CCCSec2|585}}
|{{NoteUp|585}}
|{{terms-
|[[Criminal Code and Related Definitions|"peace officer"]] (s. 2)
}}
}}

{{reflist|2}}

==Participation of Third Parties==
{{seealso|Rôle de la victime et des tiers|Aides au témoignage pour les témoins jeunes, handicapés ou vulnérables}}

; Testimonial Aids
{{3rdPTestimonyAids}}

; On Finding of Guilt 
{{VictimHeader}} <!-- Sections / Notice of Agree / Notice of Restitution / Notice of VIS --> 
|s. 140 {{DescrSec|140}} || {{Yes-Indictment}}|| || 
|- 
{{VictimEnd}}

{{RestitutionNotice}}

{{VISNotice}}

==Sentencing Principles and Ranges==
{{seealsoSentencing}}

===Sentencing Profile===
; Maximum Penalties
{{SProfileMaxHeader}}
{{SProfileMax|s. 140 {{DescrSec|140}} | {{Summary}} | {{summaryconviction}} }}
{{SProfileMax|s. 140 {{DescrSec|140}} | {{Indictable}} | {{Max5Years}} }}
{{SProfileEnd}}

{{MaxPenaltyHybrid|s. 140 {{DescrSec|140}}|'''{{Max5Years}}'''|'''{{summaryconviction}}'''}}

; Minimum Penalties
{{NoMinimumPenalties}}

; Available Dispositions
{{SProfileAvailHeader}}
|s. 140 {{DescrSec|140}} || any || {{SProfileAll}}
|-
{{SProfileEnd}}

{{AllDispositionsAvailable}}

; Consecutive Sentences
{{NoConsecutive}}

===Principles===
The primary purpose is not simply avoiding the police from "wast[ing] their time", but it is in the "danger that innocent persons might be prosecuted and lose their livelihoods."<ref>
{{CanLIIRP|Ambrose|5rqs|2000 ABCA 264 (CanLII)|234 WAC 161}}{{perABCA|Cote JA}}{{atL|5rqs|24}}<br>
</ref>

{{reflist|2}}

===Ranges===
{{seealsoRanges|Public Mischief}}

==Ancillary Sentencing Orders==
{{seealso|Ancillary Orders}}
	
; Offence-specific Orders
{{AOrderHeader}}
| [[DNA Orders]] ||s. 140 {{DescrSec|140}}||
* {{SecondDNA(AorB)Hybrid|s. 140 {{DescrSec|140}}}}
{{AOrderEnd}}

'''General Orders'''
{{GeneralSentencingOrders}}

; General Forfeiture Orders
{{GeneralForfeitureOrders}}

==Record Suspensions and Pardons== 
{{RecordSuspension|s. 140 {{DescrSec|140}}}}

==See Also==
; References
* [[Pre-Trial and Trial Motions Checklist]]

{{OffencesNavBar/Admin}}