Peace bonds are covered under Section 810 of the Criminal Code, or Common Law. It is common in Alberta to resolve minor domestic assault allegations, or other minor crimes of violence, with a peace bond. The Court has the authority to issue peace bonds under s. 810 of the Criminal Code.
The requirements are that an application can be made by—or on behalf of—any person (Person A) who has a reasonable fear that another person (Person B) will cause harm to him or her, their spouse, children, or property.
The Court can order Person B to be bound by a court order to keep the peace and be of good behavior, seek counselling for anger management or anything else, be supervised by the probation office, to have no contact with Person A—there are many possibilities.
It is also possible for the court to issue peace bonds under its common law authority which carries many of the same terms and obligations.
Breaching the terms of a peace bond is itself a criminal offence and carries a fine attached to it. As of July 2015, a conviction for breaching a peace bond carries a maximum sentence of up to four years in jail.
If the person bound by the peace bond abides by all of its conditions, then the peace bond does not result in a criminal conviction and is a good way of resolving minor crimes of violence.