In Canada, a criminal act is seen as a crime against all of Canadian society. This is because we all have an interest in making sure the rule of law is upheld. Therefore, the victim of a crime is not responsible for charging the person who did wrong. In Canada, the Crown (government) charges the accused. The Crown is represented by a lawyer called a Crown prosecutor, who is usually an employee of the province. The role of the Crown prosecutor is to present all the evidence in the case, even though this usually means the evidence is against the accused. The Crown prosecutor is not a lawyer for the victim. Their job is to discover the truth of what happened, on behalf of society, not simply prove one person is guilty. Last Reviewed: June 2023