Homicide can either be culpable or non-culpable, with the former being unlawful under a category of offences defined in the Criminal Code, a statute passed by the Parliament of Canada that applies uniformly across the country.
hijacking, sexual assault, kidnapping or hostage taking, the judge or jury must also be satisfied that the accused's actions were "an essential, substantial and integral part of the killing of the victim".
In 2011, an amendment to the Criminal Code was passed to allow for consecutive periods of parole ineligibility for multiple murder offences.
It gave courts the authority, but not the obligation, to order life sentences be served consecutively instead of concurrently, in effect allowing for the parole ineligibility periods of multiple murders to be stacked together.
For offences committed prior to December 2, 2011, someone guilty of a single murder could have their non-parole period reduced to no less than 15 years under the Faint hope clause.
A mandatory minimum penalty (ranging from 4 to 7 years depending on the circumstances) applies only when the offence is committed with a firearm.
A dangerous offender may be sentenced to an indeterminate period of imprisonment and is eligible for parole after serving a minimum of 7 years.