Annual Report 1994/95 - Statistics: Misleading Advertising and Deceptive Marketing Practices Offence

Table 6
Misleading Advertising and Deceptive Marketing Practices Offences: Selected Activities*

Number of Complaints, Examinations and Inquiries

Total complaints received 8,500

Number of les opened 8,145

Applications for inquiries under section 9 - 2

Inquiries commenced 38

Disposition of Inquiries

Completed examinations/inquiries 349

Information contacts 762

Inquiries formally discontinued

Cases involving undertakings** 10
Other cases 16

Undertakings received 10

Matters referred to the Attorney General of Canada 23

Matters where further action is not warranted*** 0

Prosecutions commenced*** 23

Prohibition orders without conviction** 0

Prosecutions concluded***,****

Convictions 24

Non-convictions***** 8

Total Fines $1,417,400

* See also activities noted in Appendix II related to Information and Compliance Programs.

** Discontinued inquiries involving undertakings are reported for the fiscal year in which they were discontinued. Accordingly, these may not coincide with the actual number of undertakings received in any given fiscal year.

*** May include matters referred during previous years.

**** These statistics were not reported prior to fiscal 1990-91 on a "prosecution" basis.

***** This includes conditional and absolute discharges, withdrawals, stays of proceedings, etc. It should be noted that charges against some of the accused are often withdrawn after other accused in the same case have pled guilty. Accordingly, there is some overlap.