What is an example of ancillary relief?

Ancillary relief refers to additional remedies or measures that support or enhance the main legal remedy. In the context of sentencing in criminal cases, conditions of probation serve as a form of ancillary relief. Once a defendant is convicted and sentenced, the court may impose probation as an alternative to incarceration. The conditions attached to this probation—such as attending counseling, submitting to drug testing, or abiding by specific behavioral guidelines—are designed to aid in the defendant's rehabilitation and ensure public safety without necessarily imposing imprisonment.

Conditions of probation are considered ancillary because they address aspects of the defendant's behavior and support their reintegration into society, rather than being the primary focus of the court's judgment in relation to the conviction itself. This contrasts with dismissing charges, which represents a fundamental judicial act, and the right to a jury trial, which pertains to the prosecuted individual’s constitutional rights. Similarly, law enforcement's discretion in making arrests pertains to the initial stage of the criminal process rather than the remedial stage post-conviction.