Will My Charges Be Dropped If the Victim Doesn’t Want to Press Charges? (Ontario Guide)
One of the first questions I often get asked after being charged with a criminal offence is, “Can the victim just drop the charges?” It’s a question I hear regularly from new clients. Sometimes it comes from the accused. Sometimes it comes from a family member. In domestic assault cases, it often comes from couples who have reconciled and want to move forward with their lives. The answer usually catches people off guard. In Ontario, the complainant does not decide whether criminal charges continue. Once police lay a charge, that decision belongs to the Crown Attorney.