The law says
Criminal Code s. 234Culpable homicide that is not murder or infanticide is manslaughter.
Amendment History (1)
- R.S., c. C-34, s. 217
Justice Laws is the authoritative version. If this copy and it ever differ, Justice Laws wins.
Criminal Code
s. 234 Manslaughter
- Homicide & Related
- Homicide
- Maximum sentence
- Life imprisonment
- Classification
- Indictable
Last verified: June 2026 · Source: laws-lois.justice.gc.ca
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Immigration
Where this offence sits under IRPA
Manslaughter can bring a life sentence. A conviction is treated as serious criminality under IRPA s.36(1). The immigration effects are severe and lasting. Manslaughter is less blameworthy than murder, but time alone does not clear it. The route is a record suspension for a conviction in Canada (s.36(3)(b)), or an application to be found rehabilitated for one outside Canada (s.36(3)(c)).
This is how the law sorts the offence, not a reading of any one record. An officer decides each case.