Robbery Charges in Ontario: What They Mean and What Happens Next

You commit robbery if you steal and use or threaten violence to get the property or stop someone resisting, or assault someone meaning to steal from them, or steal while armed with a weapon or something that looks like one. The amount taken doesn't matter. A failed attempt to steal by force can still count as robbery.

The Crown has to prove you took property, or tried to, and that force, the threat of it, or being armed was part of how you did it, along with an intent to steal, not just a confrontation. Identification is often central, particularly with a brief interaction or a stranger, and whether a weapon was genuinely used, as opposed to alleged or mistaken, tends to become a key issue.

Robbery carries a maximum of life imprisonment in every case. With a restricted or prohibited firearm, or one tied to a criminal organization, the mandatory minimum is 5 years for a first offence and 7 years for a second or later one. Since July 18, 2026, a judge can go below that minimum only in rare cases where it would be grossly disproportionate, and some jail is still required. Most robbery cases don't involve that kind of firearm, so most carry no mandatory minimum, leaving the sentence up to the judge.

Because robbery is always treated as serious, outcomes tend to run harsher than for theft alone. Lower-end cases, especially for a young or first-time person, can sometimes end in probation, but jail is common where a weapon or real violence was involved. Bail is often harder to get and typically comes with stricter terms, including a surety, someone who supervises you and pledges money if you breach. A conviction stays on your record for years unless you later get a suspension, and it's likely to affect immigration status too, worth raising with an immigration lawyer alongside the criminal case.