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Remedies
There are various ways to seek compensation or restitution for injury or damage suffered as the victim of a criminal act. This document provides a brief overview of the possibilities, depending on individual situations. Assistance in seeking compensation or restitution is available from your local crime victim assistance centre  (CAVAC).
Application for compensation under the Crime Victims Compensation Act
A person who is injured - physically or mentally - as the victim of a crime against the person is eligible for compensation under the Crime Victims Compensation Act .
If the victim dies as the result of the crime, the victim’s spouse, dependents or parents, if the victim was a minor, may receive the compensation provided for in the Act (funeral expenses, benefits, etc.).
In addition, since March 22, 2007, psychotherapeutic rehabilitation services have been available for the close relations of a crime victim, as defined by the Crime Victims Compensation Act, if the crime was committed after May 9, 2006.
Important
The application for compensation must be submitted in the year following the commission of the crime.
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The Crime Victims Compensation Act does not apply in the case of crimes against property such as housebreaking, robbery without violence, vandalism or fraud, or in the case of a hit-and-run accident.
Application forms to obtain compensation are available from the Direction de l'indemnisation des victimes d'actes criminels at:
1199, rue de Bleury, 5e étage
Case postale 6056, succursale Centre-ville
Montréal (Québec) H3C 4E1
Telephone, Montréal area: 514 906-3019
Toll-free: 1 800 561-4822
E-mail: ivac@csst.qc.ca
The forms, and assistance from a resource person, are also available at all CAVACs.
Application for compensation under the Act respecting industrial accidents and occupational diseases
If you are injured during a crime committed at your place of work, you are eligible for compensation under the Act respecting industrial accidents and occupational diseases administered by the Commission de la santé et de la sécurité du travail du Québec (CSST).
Your employer must be notified immediately of the injury, and must in turn notify the CSST.
Important
If you are absent from work for a period of more than fourteen days, you must apply to the CSST for compensation within six months of the date on which you were injured.
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If an employee dies as the result of a crime, the employee’s spouse and dependents may receive death benefits. The employer must notify the CSST immediately after learning of the death. An application for compensation must be made to the CSST by a beneficiary or representative of the employee within six months of the date of death.
For more information, contact your regional CSST office at the address listed in the blue pages of the telephone directory in the Québec government section under the Workplace Health and Safety heading. You can also get information from the CSST website.
Application for compensation from the Société de l’assurance automobile du Québec (SAAQ)
Bodily injury
A person who sustains bodily injury in an accident involving an automobile, including an accident that occurs during the perpetration of a crime, is eligible for compensation under the Automobile Insurance Act, administered by the SAAQ.
Important
The victim must contact the SAAQ at the latest three years after the accident, or after the injury resulting from the accident becomes apparent.
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If the victim of an automobile accident dies as a result of the accident, the victim’s spouse, dependents and, in some cases, parents may receive compensation under Automobile Insurance Act.
Damage to property
Damage to property is covered by liability insurance. However, the SAAQ may pay compensation if the victim’s liability insurance does not cover the type of damage caused and if the person responsible for the damage cannot be identified (hit-and-run) or is insolvent.
Important
You must report the accident to the police within 48 hours and you must not repair your vehicle until the SAAQ has assessed the damage.
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To be eligible for compensation after a hit-and-run accident, you must contact the SAAQ within 60 days of the date of accident.
If the person responsible for the accident is insolvent, the SAAQ must be informed within one year of the date on which a civil court renders a judgment in your favour.
The SAAQ can be contacted at:
Phone: 418 643-7620 (Québec City)
514 873-7620 (Montréal)
1 800 361-7620 (other areas, toll-free)
E-mail: courrier@saaq.gouv .qc.ca
Request to terminate a lease on grounds of violence or sexual assault
If you wish to terminate your lease because the violent behaviour of a spouse or former spouse, or because a sexual aggression, even by a third party, threatens your safety or the safety of a child living with you, you must send your landlord a written notice accompanied by an attestation from a public officer stating that the termination of the lease is a measure that will ensure your safety or the safety of a child living with you. To obtain the attestation, you must fill out the form Request for an attestation for the purpose of resiliating a lease on grounds of violence or sexual assault.
After taking the oath or solemn affirmation (see Schedule 1 of the form), you must send the duly completed form to the office of the criminal and penal prosecuting attorneys (Bureau des procureurs aux poursuites criminelles et pénales) at the courthouse serving your municipality. If you made a complaint to the Montréal police service concerning the facts stated in your request, you must send your request to the Montréal Municipal Court . Your request will be processed by one of the public officers designated by the Minister of Justice.
Proceedings before the civil courts
If the perpetrator of the crime of which you were the victim is known, you may sue for damages before the civil courts, whether or not the perpetrator has been prosecuted for a criminal offence or found guilty.
If your claim does not exceed $7,000, you may go through the small claims division of the Court of Québec. The fees are minimal and you must act for yourself, without a lawyer.
It is important to note that in many cases it is necessary, even essential, to send a formal demand before undertaking legal proceedings. In fact, your action may fail if you cannot prove that you have sent a formal notice.
You may ask a lawyer to draw up a formal notice for you.
If the amount of your claim is greater than $7,000, you should consult a lawyer. You can verify whether you are eligible for legal aid by contacting your local Community Legal Centre  .
Important
The proceedings must be instituted within three years of the date on which the damage or injury was caused or the date on which it first became apparent.
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For more information, contact the clerk of the Civil Division of the Court of Québec at the courthouse where the proceedings will be instituted.
Restitution order issued by a criminal court
If you sustain property damage or bodily injury as the result of a crime, and if the offender is found guilty of causing the damage or injury, the judge may, when pronouncing sentence, order the offender to make restitution. A restitution order may be made on the judge’s initiative in addition to any other measure, or it may be made at the request of the criminal and penal prosecuting attorney. In all cases, it is up to the judge to decide whether a restitution order is appropriate.
A restitution order for property damage or bodily harm may also be made by the judge at the time of sentencing, as a condition of a probation order. In this case, an offender who fails to comply with the order within the deadline may be prosecuted.
If you do not receive payment from the offender, you may, depending on the amount set in the restitution order, have the order registered at the clerk’s office of the Civil Division of the Court of Québec or the clerk’s office of the Superior Court. Registering the order will ensure that it can be enforced as if it were a judgment by a civil court.
It is important to note that a restitution order in a criminal case may only be made if the accused is found guilty, if a suitable amount can be easily determined, and if the judge considers it appropriate.
The criminal and penal prosecuting attorney will, on request, provide more information about restitution orders.
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Rights, Remedies and Resources
