The rules may vary in each country, but in Canada, a summary conviction offense requires a very specific set of circumstances for successful prosecution. Whether or not an Ottawa criminal lawyer is involved, the accused must be charged with the offense within six months of the act occurring. This is differing from the criminal code which often has a different timeframe for charges. A summary conviction does not require that the accused provide a set of fingerprints and if the accused is convicted of a summary offense, he or she can obtain a pardon after three years as long as there has been no additional criminal activity.