The official long title of the law, which came into force on October 15, 1992, is An Act respecting contraventions of federal enactments (SC 1992, c 47 as amended).
[1] The Act and its associated regulations allow violations of minor federal laws to be prosecuted through a ticketing system rather than a formal criminal charge.
[2] Where an offence outlined in federal law has been designated by the federal government as a contravention, a police officer may choose to issue a ticket instead of laying criminal charges.
[2] Although the Act includes a full framework for federal ticketing, most of the law is not in force.
[3] Those parts that are in force allow provincial ticketing procedures to apply in those provinces that have signed an agreement with the federal government.