Is it true that at the time of confederation jurisdiction over criminal law in Canada was given to the federal government?

Yes, at the time of Confederation in 1867, jurisdiction over criminal law in Canada was assigned to the federal government. This is outlined in Section 91 of the British North America Act (now the Constitution Act, 1867), which grants the federal Parliament the authority to make laws related to criminal matters. This centralization aimed to ensure a uniform legal framework across the provinces.