Ontario Court of Justice

Ontario Court of Justice
Cour de justice de l'Ontario (Fr)
Established 1996
Country Ontario
Composition method Appointed by the Lieutenant Governor of Ontario on advice of the Attorney General of Ontario
Authorized by Courts of Justice Act, 1990
Decisions are appealed to Court of Appeal for Ontario
Judge term length 8 years (Chief Justice), 6 years (Associate Chief Justices)[1]
Number of positions 8
Website http://www.ontariocourts.ca/ocj
Chief Justice of the Ontario Court of Justice[1]
Currently Lise Maisonneuve
Since May 3, 2015[2]
Lead position ends 2023
Associate Chief Justice of the Ontario Court of Justice
Currently Peter J. DeFreitas[3]
Since June 3, 2015[4]
Jurist term ends 2021

The Ontario Court of Justice is a provincial court of record[5] for the Canadian province of Ontario. The court oversees matters relating to family law and criminal law and sits at 200 locations across the province.

Jurisdiction

This court is subordinate in relationship to the "superior" courts. The phrase "provincial court" or "territorial court" is often used to mean a low level court whose decisions can be reviewed by a "superior" court. Decades ago they were managed at the local municipal level.

The Ontario Court of Justice is a division of the Court of Ontario.[6] The other division of the Court of Ontario is the Superior Court of Justice.

Until 1999, the Ontario Court of Justice was known as the Ontario Court of Justice (Provincial Division).

Family law

Family law cases deal with matters of custody, access and support, child protection so long as these are not incidental of or were not previously a part of a divorce application. Cases are heard by a judge only. Appeals from these cases are heard by the Ontario Superior Court of Justice.

Criminal law

Criminal law cases heard before the court are summary conviction offences, less serious indictable offences under section 553 of the Criminal Code,[7] and indictable offences where the defendant has elected to have his or her trial heard in the Ontario Court of Justice (excluding offences found under section 469 of the Criminal Code - murder, treason, etc.). Cases are heard by a judge only. Appeals from cases involving summary conviction offences are heard by the Ontario Superior Court of Justice. Appeals in indictable matters are heard by the Ontario Court of Appeal.

References

  1. 1 2 Courts of Justice Act, R.S.O. 2009, c. 43
  2. ↑ Seymour, Andrew (4 April 2015). "Ottawa judge named chief justice of Ontario Court of Justice". Ottawa Citizen. Retrieved 3 July 2016.
  3. ↑ "Judges". Ontario Court of Justice. Government of Ontario. Retrieved 3 July 2016.
  4. ↑ "New Associate Chief Justice Appointed to the Ontario Court of Justice". Newsroom. Government of Ontario. Retrieved 3 July 2016.
  5. ↑ Courts of Justice Act, R.S.O. 1990, c. 43, s. 34, as amended by R.S.O. 1996, c. 25, s. 9(5)
  6. ↑ Courts of Justice Act, R.S.O. 1990, c. 43, s. 10(2), as amended by R.S.O. 1996, c. 25, s. 9(2)
  7. ↑ Criminal Code, RSC 1985, c C-46, s 553.


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