Private Prosecution - Laying an Information in BC

Last revised July 23, 2026

In British Columbia, any criminal proceeding that is not brought under s.577 of the Criminal Code is begun with the laying of an information (Form 2, Offence Act / Form 2, Criminal Code).  Usually this form is laid by a law enforcement officer but it can also be laid by a member of the public.

This is known as a private prosecution and is used by any person to bring the court’s attention to criminal activity that they believe to be occurring. Section 507.1 of the Criminal Code. Once written, the information is taken before a judge and sworn under oath.

The only formal qualification for the laying of an information is a belief “on reasonable grounds” that the stated offence is occurring.  This is covered in s.504 of the Criminal Code 

Finding sample informations 

Informations are not available to download through Courts Services Online, but in some cases may be accessed through the Registry where the case was heard.   The Supreme Court of BC Policy on Access to the Court Record states:

The indictment is the document by which charges are filed in the Supreme Court. In the Provincial Court, where charges usually begin, the charging document is called an information. The public is entitled to have access to indictments and informations, unless the proceedings are under the Youth Criminal Justice Act.

According to the Access to Court Records Policy for adult criminal proceedings in Provincial Court, private informations are excluded from this access unless otherwise ordered by court. Access to other informations from the registry requires the name and file number of the case. File numbers are most easily located by searching a case law database such as WestLawNext in a courthouse library branch, or a freely available database such as CanLII.

The Environmental Law Centre at the University of Victoria created a guide called A Citizen’s and Lawyer’s Guide to Private Prosecutions in British Columbia (linked in references). A sample private information from Morton v Heritage Salmon is included in Appendix A.

Withdrawing charges

There is no formal process to withdraw or alter charges after an information after it has been provided to the crown. The author of the information can provide a letter to crown prosecutors to recommend that any charges be withdrawn but it is up to the prosecutors to decide whether or not to proceed.

If you are a complainant, you should speak to duty counsel or your victim support worker for advice before contacting crown prosecutors as they do not accept letters directly from complainants.

Content reviewed July 21, 2026