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The Paul Martin Law Library
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Historic Ontario Courts

A question that comes up when students are retrieving older Ontario decisions is -- what "level" of court is this? The following table is an effort to clarify the "level" of some of the "historic courts" in Ontario.

Superior Trial Court
1996 - today Ontario Superior Court
- a "court of general jurisdiction" (e.g. "all the jurisdiction, power and authority historically exercised by courts of common law and equity
in England and Ontario")
- one federally-appointed judge
- a trial court (serious civil & criminal)
- the following preceded this court:

1990 - Ontario Court of Justice (General Division)
1996


1931 - Ontario Supreme Court (High Court of Justice)
1990


1913 - Ontario Supreme Court (High Court Division)
1931


1881 - 1913 Supreme Court of Judicature (High Court of Justice),
with divisions: Queen's Bench Division, Common Pleas
Division, Chancery Division; Exchequer Division

1794 - 1881 Court of Common Pleas (1849 - 1881)
& Court of Queen's Bench (1794 - 1881)
& Court of Chancery (1837 - 1881)


Court of Appeal:

1931 - today Court of Appeal for Ontario


1913 - 1931 Supreme Court of Ontario (Appellate Division)