Bail in Canada  Bail in Canada refers to the release (or detention) of a person charged with a criminal offence prior to being tried in court or sentenced. The "Canadian Bill of Rights" and the "Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms" guarantee the right not to be denied reasonable bail without just cause. That right is implemented by the "Criminal Code", which provides several ways for a person to be released prior to a court appearance. A person may be released by a peace officer or by the courts. A release by the courts is officially known as a judicial interim release. There are also a number of ways to compel a person's appearance in court without the need for an arrest and release. The Canadian law of bail is derived from the principles of bail which evolved in the English common law. In particular, the right to be released without excessive bail was enshrined in the English "Bill of Rights", which was part of the law of the colonies in British North America. Prior to Confederation in 1867, the individual colonies each had the authority to enact local laws relating to bail. After 1867, the Parliament of Canada acquired exclusive jurisdiction over the criminal law, including the law of bail. The first major federal legislation with respect to bail was included in the criminal legislation package of 1869. In that law, the federal government made bail discretionary for all offences. This provision was subsequently subject to much judicial interpretation, as it made the granting of bail highly discretionary for each justice of the peace. It also placed considerable emphasis on cash bail, making release on bail dependent on the individual's financial resources, rather than factors such as likelihood of appearing to answer the charges. The next major statutory change to bail in Canada was the 1960 "Canadian Bill of Rights" which provided for a "right to reasonable bail". This provision was subsequently used by the courts to rule, for the first time, that the Extradition Act included a right to bail. In the early 1970s, the procedure for granting bail in Canada was completely revised by the "Bail Reform Act", which extensively amended the bail provisions of the "Criminal Code". This act placed the onus for justifying an accused's detention on the prosecutor, gave police new powers to release persons charged with an offence prior to their coming before a justice, and created detailed procedures for bail reviews. In 1982, the "Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms" enshrined the right to bail in the Canadian constitution. Section 11(e) of the Charter stipulated that "any person charged with an offence has the right ... not to be denied reasonable bail without just cause".