Types of Offences

From the website of the Ontario Ministry of the Attorney General:

Offence

A violation of the law.

Hybrid Offence

Term applied to a criminal offence which may be tried by summary conviction procedure or by indictment at the option of the prosecutor. A hybrid offence is an indictable offence until the Crown elects to proceed by way of summary conviction. The difference is in the process followed.

Indictable Offence

More serious criminal offences that carry longer maximum sentences and higher fines; these offences are also subject to more complex court procedures, including the right to a preliminary hearing before a trial in the Superior Court of Justice.

Quasi-Criminal Offence

A non-criminal offence that carries a penalty similar to that of a criminal offence, but that is subject to less complex court procedures than are criminl offences. For example traffic and workplace safety offences.

Regulatory Offence

A non-criminal offence that regulates conduct in the public interest, such as securities regulations. Regulatory offences are often dealt with at administrative tribunals and not in a court setting.

Summary Conviction Offence

These criminal offences carry lower maximum penalties and are subject to less complex court procedures. These matters are heard in the Ontario Court of Justice.