Under Canadian criminal law, an assault becomes more serious when it involves the use of a weapon or when it causes bodily harm. These offences are set out in sections 267 and 269 of the Criminal Code and carry significantly heavier penalties than simple assault.l’utilisation d’une arme ou lorsqu’elle cause des lésions corporelles à la victime. Ces infractions sont prévues aux articles 267 et 269 du Code criminel et entraînent des conséquences pénales beaucoup plus sévères que la voie de fait simple.
A person may be charged even if the injury was not intended, as long as the force itself was applied intentionally and without consent.n’avait pas l’intention de blesser, tant que l’application de la force était volontaire et sans consentement.
When the victim is a public transit operator acting in the course of their duties, the law requires the court to treat this as an aggravating factor at sentencing.opérateur de transport en commun agissant dans l’exercice de ses fonctions, la loi oblige le tribunal à considérer cette situation comme une circonstance aggravante lors de la détermination de la peine.
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A person commits assault with a weapon when, during an assault, they:voie de fait armée lorsqu’une personne, en commettant une voie de fait :
A “weapon” includes any object used or intended to be used to cause injury, even if it is not inherently dangerous.n’importe quel objet utilisé ou destiné à être utilisé pour causer des blessures, même s’il ne s’agit pas d’un objet dangereux en soi.
To secure a conviction, the prosecution must prove beyond a reasonable doubt that:
Courts have confirmed that all four elements must be present (R. v. Therrien, 2025 QCCA 381).
Assault causing bodily harm focuses on the result of the assault, rather than the method used.voies de fait causant des lésions corporelles vise les situations où l’application intentionnelle de la force entraîne une atteinte physique réelle, allant au-delà d’un simple inconfort passager.
This offence applies when an intentional, non-consensual application of force results in bodily harm, meaning an injury that is more than trivial or fleeting.
To establish guilt, the Crown must prove:
Importantly, the accused does not need to have intended to cause injury. It is enough that they intended to apply force
(R. v. Lepage, 2017 QCCA 947; R. v. Emans, 2000).
Courts have found that bodily harm can include:
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During an argument in a parking lot, one person grabs a screwdriver and strikes another individual on the arm. Even if the injury is minor, using an object as a weapon is sufficient to support a charge of assault with a weapon under section 267.
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In a heated confrontation, someone intentionally pushes another person, who falls and fractures their wrist. Because the force was intentional and the injury is more than minor, this conduct constitutes assault causing bodily harm.
Assault with a weapon and assault causing bodily harm are hybrid offences, meaning the Crown may proceed by indictment or by summary conviction.infractions mixtes.
Par acte criminelUp to 10 years of imprisonment10 ans d’emprisonnement
Par procédure sommaireUp to 2 years less one day.2 ans moins un jour
There is no mandatory minimum sentence, unless a firearm offence applies under section 85 of the Criminal Code.
Courts consider several factors when determining an appropriate sentence.
Courts may impose harsher sentences when factors such as the following are present:
When the victim is a public transit operator, the law requires this factor to be explicitly considered as aggravating.opérateur de transport en commun, cette circonstance doit obligatoirement être considérée comme aggravante.
Judges may impose more lenient sentences where appropriate, including when:
Sentences for assault with a weapon or causing bodily harm vary widely, ranging from conditional discharges in minor cases to custodial sentences where injuries are serious, violence is repeated, or vulnerable victims are involved.peines sans incarcération dans les cas moins graves à des peines d’emprisonnement ferme lorsque la violence est importante, répétée ou dirigée contre une personne vulnérable.
Courts balance denunciation, deterrence, rehabilitation, and public safety, with increasing emphasis on accountability in cases involving weapons or significant harm.
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