Charges · Robbery · Alberta
What happens after a robbery charge in Alberta?
What it means, what usually happens next, and what to bring to the first call.
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In short
- Robbery can only go by indictment, and robbery with a firearm carries mandatory minimum sentences.
- In Alberta, robbery cases start in the Alberta Court of Justice; its Indigenous courts in Calgary and Edmonton hear bail and sentencing for those who choose them.
- The person is usually held for a bail hearing.
What usually happens next
- Step 1
Arrest and the station You have the right to talk to a lawyer in private. You do not have to answer police questions.
- Step 2
Police decide Police can release you with conditions and a court date, or hold you for a bail hearing.
What should you bring to the first call?
How it works in Alberta
Which court hears it in Alberta
Alberta robbery charges are heard first in the Alberta Court of Justice. In Edmonton, in-custody matters are heard in courtroom 265 at the Law Courts.
Bail in Alberta
Someone held on an Alberta robbery charge has a first-appearance bail hearing by video before a justice of the peace, with a Crown Bail Office prosecutor appearing and duty counsel if needed.
Programs and diversion in Alberta
The Calgary Indigenous Court and the Edmonton Indigenous Court deal mainly with bail and sentencing for Indigenous accused who choose them; a Healing Plan can be added to a Calgary probation order.
The local process in Alberta
If bail is denied in Alberta, Legal Aid Alberta says the person must call to apply for legal aid. The Alberta Crown prosecutes only with a reasonable likelihood of conviction and where it is in the public interest.
What do people ask about robbery charges?
Do I have to talk to the police?
No - a person does not have to answer police questions, and anyone arrested or detained has the right to speak to a lawyer, and police must tell them that.
What is the maximum penalty for robbery?
Under s. 344 of the Criminal Code, robbery is an indictable offence with a maximum of life imprisonment. Where a firearm is used there are minimum sentences: five years for a first offence and seven for a second or later one.
Sources
Alberta sources
- Alberta Court of Justice, history of the court, accessed October 8, 2026
- Alberta Court of Justice, Edmonton location, accessed October 8, 2026
- Alberta, justice of the peace bail hearings, accessed October 14, 2026
- Alberta Court of Justice, Calgary Indigenous Court, accessed October 15, 2026
- Alberta Court of Justice, Edmonton Indigenous Court, accessed October 15, 2026
- Legal Aid Alberta, adult criminal law, accessed October 15, 2026
- Alberta, criminal prosecutions, accessed October 15, 2026
- Alberta Court of Justice, accessed October 15, 2026
- Alberta Crown Prosecution Service, accessed October 15, 2026
- Government of Alberta — renaming the provincial court (3 Oct 2022), accessed October 15, 2026
- Legal Aid Alberta — contact, accessed October 15, 2026
Federal law sources
- Criminal Code (Canada), s. 343, accessed October 15, 2026
- Criminal Code (Canada), s. 344, accessed October 15, 2026
Free 24/7 criminal law information · not legal advice. Legal Aid Alberta: 1-866-845-3425
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