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← Back to Law ExplorerLast verified: June 2026 · Source: laws-lois.justice.gc.ca
Theft, Fraud & PropertyIndictable
§344

Robbery

Theft & Fraud
Maximum Sentence

Life imprisonment

Classification: Indictable
🍁 Immigration Impact

Straight indictable offence carrying life imprisonment. Serious criminality under IRPA s.36(1). Robbery convictions create severe and lasting immigration consequences. Deemed rehabilitation is not available.

🍁 In Simple Terms

Theft with violence or the threat of it, including anything taken while armed. It carries life imprisonment with no lighter route, which puts it firmly in serious criminality. A record of this kind does not age out, so passing years do not restore admissibility on their own.

Legal Text, Criminal Code s. 344

(1) Every person who commits robbery is guilty of an indictable offence and liable (a) if a restricted firearm or prohibited firearm is used in the commission of the offence or if any firearm is used in the commission of the offence and the offence is committed for the benefit of, at the direction of, or in association with, a criminal organization, to imprisonment for life and to a minimum punishment of imprisonment for a term of (i) in the case of a first offence, five years, and (ii) in the case of a second or subsequent offence, seven years; (a.1) [Repealed, 2022, c. 15, s. 12] (b) in any other case, to imprisonment for life. (2) In determining, for the purpose of paragraph (1)(a), whether a convicted person has committed a second or subsequent offence, if the person was earlier convicted of any of the following offences, that offence is to be considered as an earlier offence: (a) an offence under this section; (b) an offence under subsection 85(1) or (2) or section 244 or 244.2; or (c) an offence under section 220, 236, 239, 272 or 273, subsection 279(1) or section 279.1 or 346 if a firearm was used in the commission of the offence. However, an earlier offence shall not be taken into account if 10 years have elapsed between the day on which the person was convicted of the earlier offence and the day on which the person was convicted of the offence for which sentence is being imposed, not taking into account any time in custody. (3) For the purposes of subsection (2), the only question to be considered is the sequence of convictions and no consideration shall be given to the sequence of commission of offences or whether any offence occurred before or after any conviction.

Amendment History (5)
R.S., 1985, c. C-46, s. 344
1995, c. 39, s. 149
2008, c. 6, s. 32
2009, c. 22, s. 14
2022, c. 15, s. 12
Related Sections
Official Source: Justice Canada: Criminal Code s. 344 (authoritative, may differ from this display)
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