You can go to jail for a death threat. In Canada, it is illegal to communicate an intent to cause bodily harm with the intent of frightening someone. This type of communication is punishable by up to ten years in prison if the message has been sent from one Canadian province or territory to another. For example, the sender may be charged if they send a death threat across provincial borders.
A death threat is a criminal offense that may be charged as either a misdemeanor or a felony. The severity of the offense depends on the circumstances, such as whether it was done to intimidate an individual or group of individuals because of their race, religion, nationality or other factors.
A person could be incarcerated for sending a text message that constitutes a threat. The content and the context of the messages would figure into any potential prosecution, but there is no hard and fast rule as to what constitutes a threat. For instance, it is unclear whether an “I’m going to kill you” text message qualifies as a violation.
The first thing to do is contact the authorities. Do not panic. The police will be able to direct you on how to proceed depending on what your personal safety is like and what type of death threat was received. It’s also important to note the content of the death threat, as well as any evidence that you have obtained (e.g., voice recordings). This information will be useful for law enforcement when they approach the perpetrator.
A threat constitutes any language, action or gesture that would cause a reasonable person to feel fear or intimidation. For example, if somebody walks up to somebody and yells “I’m going to kill you!” that would constitute a threat.
Verbal threats to commit crime are not crimes but it is important to note that verbal threats can cause fear and psychological injury.The act of committing a crime by means of physical force, the threat of violence, or other forcible means (see state laws) (see R v Ireland (1949)) requires the perpetrator to physically be present – verbal threats are not crimes. Verbal threats can cause fear and psychological injury – this is recognised in courts as well as diplomatic circles.
The phrase “watch your back” is a warning with a threatening undertone. It is a warning that in order to protect yourself, you should continuously be in the mind of anticipating danger and being in a defensive position in order to successfully defend oneself in the event of an attack.
The decision to prosecute an individual for a criminal offence is generally governed by the common law maxim that “a man ought not to be punished for doing that which is not crime, when the law cannot reach it” (Rex v. Wilkes). The common law also imposes restrictions on what can be prosecuted as a crime, forbidding legislation so vague as to leave the average person uncertain as to whether their conduct would constitute an offence against it.
A death threat is an act which intimidates another to the point of fearing for their life. The severity of the crime differs depending on how severe the perceived threat is to the threatened person, and whether or not it is coupled with other crimes. For example, if there are no indications that a perpetrator will carry out his or her threats, then the crime may not meet the legal requirements for harassment.
If one receives a death threat it is important to report this immediately to the proper authorities. It is best not to assume that it will go away on its own. If not reported, there could be potential threats of violence against the individual who received the threat. Nobody should live in fear or hide from their life because of threats that are not heard or acted upon. The law enforcement agencies should be contacted to learn what they are legally obligated to do next.
The question of whether it is illegal to send death threats online is not clear. One side of the argument is that it is not illegal to threaten someone with death online. Some people argue that there are no laws against death threats on the internet, and some states have laws that prohibit threatening messages but they do not specifically say these messages must be sent in person or over the phone (citation needed).
Please report any threatening behavior to your campus police department. If you are not on campus, please contact the police for your city or town.
