Lesson 8

What is quasi-criminal law?

What is quasi-criminal law?

The origins of this word come from the Latin word "quasi", which means "Sort of like", so quasi-criminal law is "sort of like" criminal law. 

How is it like criminal law?

Well, it means that a court can penalize someone for their non-criminal actions as if they had committed a criminal act.   The court process is not as complicated as a criminal trial is, nevertheless, you can end up in jail if convicted of a quasi-criminal crime. 

For example:

1. Traffic violations. This is the most common type of quasi-criminal offenses in Alberta.  For example, driving without insurance could land you in jail!

2. A parent not paying child support.

3. A business owner not having their business up to par, according to the Fire Code.

4. A business not having their workplace safety standards up to par, according to the Workplace Safety Standards Code.