Criminal Code, section 271

Sexual assault

What the law says

Maximum
10 years
Mandatory minimum
No mandatory minimum
Kind of offence
Sexual
Prosecuted
By indictment or summary conviction

No minimum unless the complainant is under 16 (see "Sexual assault of a person under 16"). Conditional sentence reportedly barred for sexual assault prosecuted by indictment by S.C. 2026, c. 11 (Bill C-14, in force July 15, 2026) - not confirmed against the amending text.

Read the statute on the Justice Laws website

98 cases with this offence

  1. April 30, 2024
    R. v. C.S., 2024 BCSC 922Sexual assault; Break and enter a dwelling-house, Vancouver. Justice Nitya Iyer
    • Below the Crown's ask
    • On release at the time
    Five years imprisonment on each count, concurrent
  2. April 25, 2024
    R. v. S.O., 2024 NSSC 140Sexual assault; Sexual exploitation of a young person, Sydney. Justice Patrick J. Murray
    • Below the Crown's ask
    4 years imprisonment
  3. April 3, 2024
    R. v. C.R.F., 2024 BCSC 853Sexual assault, Prince George. Justice John Gibb-Carsley
    • Below the Crown's ask
    • No jail for a violent offence
    23 months conditional sentence, then 3 years probation
  4. April 3, 2024
    R. v. C-H.M.C., 2024 BCSC 689Uttering threats to cause death or bodily harm; Using an imitation firearm in the commission of an offence, Vancouver. Justice Geoffrey B. Gomery
    • Below the Crown's ask
    13 months in custody (4 months plus 9 months consecutive), then 12 months probation
  5. March 1, 2024
    R. v. H.M., 2024 BCSC 448Assault by choking, suffocating or strangling; Sexual assault, Vancouver. Justice Alan M. Ross
    • Below the Crown's ask
    • No jail for a violent offence
    12 months conditional (6 months concurrent on the choking count), then 12 months probation
  6. February 7, 2024
    R. v. B.G.E.B., 2024 BCSC 660Sexual assault, Duncan. Justice Michael J. Brundrett
    • Below the Crown's ask
    • No jail for a violent offence
    Two years less a day conditional sentence (18 months concurrent on the other count), then 3 years probation
  7. January 30, 2024
    R. v. J.F., 2024 NSSC 106Sexual assault; Forcible confinement, Yarmouth. Justice Pierre L. Muise
    4 years' imprisonment for sexual assault, 9 months concurrent for unlawful confinement
  8. January 24, 2024
    R. v. M.K.M., 2024 BCSC 575Sexual assault, Kamloops. Justice Sheri A. Donegan
    • Below the Crown's ask
    • No jail for a violent offence
    Two years less a day conditional sentence (including house arrest), then 3 years probation
  9. January 11, 2024
    R. v. J.A., 2024 NSPC 5Sexual assault, Kentville. Judge Ronda van der Hoek
    • No jail for a violent offence
    24 months less a day conditional sentence (18 months house arrest), then 30 months probation
  10. January 10, 2024
    R. v. F.M., 2024 BCSC 121Sexual assault, Vancouver. Justice Peter H. Edelmann
    • Below the Crown's ask
    • No jail for a violent offence
    18-month conditional sentence (9 months house arrest, 9 months curfew), then 12 months probation
  11. December 8, 2023
    R. v. O.R.R., 2023 BCSC 2325Sexual assault, Kamloops. Justice Ward K. Branch
    2 years in a federal facility
  12. November 2, 2023
    R. v. R.L., 2023 BCSC 2154Sexual assault, Abbotsford. Justice Ian Caldwell
    24 months jail (consecutive terms on six counts), then 36 months probation
  13. November 1, 2023
    R. v. T.S.G.S., 2023 BCSC 2216Sexual assault, Kamloops. Justice Baljinder Kaur Girn
    30 months imprisonment
  14. October 6, 2023
    R. v. D.D., 2023 NSSC 429Sexual assault, Yarmouth. Justice Pierre L. Muise
    • On release at the time
    3 years imprisonment (1 year and 2 years consecutive)
  15. July 20, 2023
    R. v. D.C.S., 2023 NSSC 242Sexual assault; Sexual interference; Sexual exploitation of a young person, Lower Sackville. Justice Scott C. Norton
    6 years' imprisonment (3 years, 2 years and 1 year consecutive)
  16. July 17, 2023
    R. v. S.R.M., 2023 NSPC 33Assault; Assault causing bodily harm; Sexual assault; Uttering threats to cause death or bodily harm; Uttering threats to damage property, Sydney. Judge Shane Russell
    7 years imprisonment (5 years for sexual assault plus consecutive terms on five other counts)
  17. July 6, 2023
    R. v. R.P.P., 2023 BCSC 1818Sexual assault; Making child sexual abuse material; Possessing child sexual abuse material, Kelowna. Justice Sheri A. Donegan
    10 years imprisonment (8 years plus 2 years consecutive, 1 year concurrent), less 27 days credit
  18. June 26, 2023
    R. v. Parker, 2023 NSPC 38Sexual assault, Dartmouth. Judge Pamela S. Williams
    • No jail for a violent offence
    Suspended sentence with 2 years probation
  19. June 2, 2023
    R. v. Maligaspe, 2023 BCSC 1227Sexual assault, Kamloops. Justice J. Miriam Gropper
    • Below the Crown's ask
    Three and a half years' imprisonment (3.5 years and 3 years, concurrent)
  20. March 14, 2023
    R. v. A.A., 2023 BCSC 482Sexual assault, Vancouver. Justice Jasvinder S. Basran
    • Below the Crown's ask
    21 months custody, then 3 years probation
  21. February 27, 2023
    R. v. B.-Q., 2023 BCSC 671Assault; Sexual assault, Salmon Arm. Justice Murray B. Blok
    Two years less a day in custody (concurrent on all counts), then 2 years probation
  22. January 6, 2023
    R. v. M.T.H., 2023 BCSC 933Sexual assault, Vancouver. Justice Ronald A. Skolrood
    • Below the Crown's ask
    22 months imprisonment, then 2 years probation
  23. December 15, 2022
    R. v. R.E.T., 2022 BCSC 2297Sexual assault, Abbotsford. Justice Diane C. MacDonald
    • Below the Crown's ask
    21 months incarceration, then 2 years probation; DNA, 10-year s. 109 prohibition, SOIRA 20 years
  24. November 22, 2022
    R. v. T.C., 2022 BCSC 2352Sexual assault, Fort St. John. Justice Veronica Jackson
    18 months jail, then 3 years probation; DNA order, 20-year SOIRA, s. 109 prohibition (10 years / life)
  25. November 21, 2022
    R. v. H.A.V., 2022 BCSC 2116Sexual assault; Overcoming resistance to commission of offence (attempting to choke, suffocate or strangle), Vancouver. Justice Wendy A. Baker
    • Below the Crown's ask
    35 months (31 months sexual assault plus 4 months consecutive for attempted choking), less 9 months pre-sentence credit, leaving 26 months

Judges who sentenced this offence

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