69 FAMILY VIOLENCE AWARENESS Peace Bonds A peace bond is a legal promise signed by a person you fear. It usually requires that they have no contact with you, behave well, and obey other conditions the judge orders. It is also called a recognizance order. You can apply for a peace bond against any person causing you to fear for your personal safety or for your property. The court will only order a peace bond if it is convinced that there is a good reason for it. How do I get a peace bond? To get a peace bond, you, or a police officer acting on your behalf, must apply through the Provincial Court. Provincial Courts are in Charlottetown, Summerside, and Georgetown. PEI Provincial Court • Charlottetown: 9023686030 • Summerside: 9028888190 • Georgetown: 9026528990 Criminal Charges If the police respond to a family violence situation, they may lay criminal charges against the person who harmed you. Laying charges is when the police officially accuse someone of a crime. This is also called pressing charges. It can be intimidating to report to the police. Police are best able to act on your behalf if they have all the information. When you make a statement: • Share any concerns you have about your safety. • If you are worried that sharing information with the police puts you at risk, tell the police. • Tell the police all the details of what happened. • Include information about any past incidents. • Describe any injuries you and/or others may have and any property damage. If you need medical attention, ask the police to take you to the hospital. Tell the doctor how you were hurt. Ask the doctor to write a detailed report. The doctor may charge you a fee to write this report. The accused is a person charged with a crime. If the person who harmed you is charged with a crime, they are called the accused. Until the court proceedings are finished, the accused will: • Be released back into the community, or • Remain in custody (jail). The police may remove the person that harmed you from your home. legalinfopei.ca FamilyViolence Laws continued
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