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Court of Appeal for Ontario

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Court of Appeal for Ontario
Established1867
JurisdictionOntario
LocationOsgoode Hall, Toronto
Authorised byCourts of Justice Act
Appeals toSupreme Court of Canada
Number of positions23 (plus supernumeraries)
Websiteontariocourts.ca/coa
Chief Justice of Ontario
CurrentlyMichael Tulloch
SinceDecember 19, 2022

The Court of Appeal for Ontario (frequently mistakenly referred to as the Ontario Court of Appeal) (ONCA is the abbreviation for its neutral citation) is the appellate court for the province of Ontario, Canada. The seat of the court is Osgoode Hall in downtown Toronto (also the seat of the Law Society of Ontario and the Divisional Court of the Ontario Superior Court of Justice).

Description

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The Court is composed of 22 judicial seats, in addition to 10 justices who currently sit supernumerary.[1] They hear over 1,500 appeals each year, on issues of private law, constitutional law, criminal law, administrative law and other matters. The Supreme Court of Canada hears appeals from less than 3% of the decisions of the Court of Appeal for Ontario, therefore in a practical sense, the Court of Appeal is the last avenue of appeal for most litigants in Ontario.[2]

Among the Court of Appeal's most notable decisions was the 2003 ruling in Halpern v Canada (AG) that found defining marriage as between one man and one woman to violate Section 15 of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, legalizing same-sex marriage in Ontario and making Canada the first jurisdiction in the world where same-sex marriage was legalized by a court ruling. Among many judges from the Court who have been elevated to the Supreme Court of Canada are Justices Rosalie Abella, Louise Arbour, Peter Cory, Louise Charron, Andromache Karakatsanis, Bora Laskin, Michael Moldaver, and Mahmud Jamal, as well as Bertha Wilson, who was the first female justice on both the Court of Appeal for Ontario (1975) and the Supreme Court of Canada (1982).

The Court of Appeal derives its jurisdiction from Ontario's Courts of Justice Act.

Current judges

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A courtroom at Osgoode Hall. Over the dais are the Royal Arms of the United Kingdom, which until 1931 were the Royal Arms for general purposes throughout the British Empire. The Statute of Westminster 1931 effectively elevated the Royal Arms of Canada to the position of the King's Royal Arms for general purposes across Canada, which is why the Royal Arms of Canada are now used by the court to represent the Canadian Crown.
Position Name Appointed Nominated by Position(s) Prior to Appointment*
Chief Justice Michael Tulloch[3] 30 June 2012
19 December 2022 (as chief) 		Harper
J. Trudeau 		Superior Court of Justice (2003 to 2012)
Private practice
Associate Chief Justice J. Michal Fairburn[4] 18 July 2017
3 September 2020 		J. Trudeau Superior Court of Justice (December 16, 2014 to July 18, 2017)
Stockwoods

Ontario Crown Law Office

Justice Jill Copeland 28 March 2022 J. Trudeau Superior Court of Justice (2017 to 2022)
Ontario Court of Justice (2014 to 2017)
Justice Steve A. Coroza[5] 6 April 2020 J. Trudeau Superior Court of Justice (2013 to 2020)
Ontario Court of Justice (2009 to 2013)
Justice Jonathan Dawe 6 November 2023 J. Trudeau Superior Court of Justice (2018 to 2023)
Justice Jonathon George 20 December 2021 J. Trudeau Superior Court of Justice (2016 to 2021)
Ontario Court of Justice (2012 to 2016)
Justice Lise Favreau 20 December 2021 J. Trudeau Superior Court of Justice (2017 to 2021)
Justice Sally Gomery 6 November 2023 J. Trudeau Superior Court of Justice (2017 to 2023)
Justice C. William Hourigan[6] 2 October 2013 Harper Superior Court of Justice (2009 to 2013)
Fasken Martineau LLP (1992 to 2009)
Justice Grant Huscroft[7] 16 December 2014 Harper Professor, Western Law School (2002 to 2014)
University of Auckland (1992 to 2001)
Justice Lene Madsen 1 May 2024 J. Trudeau Superior Court of Justice (2016 to 2024)
Justice Bradley W. Miller[8] 26 June 2015 Harper Superior Court of Justice
Justice Patrick Monahan 15 May 2023 J. Trudeau Superior Court of Justice (2017 to 2023)
Justice David M. Paciocco[9] 7 April 2017 J. Trudeau Ontario Court of Justice
Professor at University of Ottawa and Counsel at Edelson Clifford D'Angelo
Justice Renee Pomerance 24 July 2024 J. Trudeau Superior Court of Justice (2006 to 2024)
Justice Lois Roberts[10] 5 May 2015 Harper Superior Court of Justice (2008 to 2015)
Genest Murray LLP (1988 to 2008)
Cassels Brock (1987 to 1988)
Justice Lorne Sossin 26 November 2020 J. Trudeau Superior Court of Justice (2018 to 2020)
Dean, Osgoode Hall Law School (2010 to 2018)
Justice Julie Thorburn 1 September 2019 J. Trudeau Superior Court of Justice (2006 to 2019)
Justice Gary T. Trotter[11][12] 20 October 2016 J. Trudeau Superior Court of Justice (2008 to 2016)
Ontario Court of Justice (2005 to 2008)
Professor at Queen's University (2003 to 2016)
Ontario Crown Counsel (1988 to 2000)
Justice Katherine van Rensburg[6] 2 October 2013 Harper Superior Court of Justice (2006 to 2013)
Gowling Lafleur Henderson LLP
Justice Darla Wilson 1 May 2024 J. Trudeau Superior Court of Justice (2007 to 2024)
Justice Benjamin Zarnett 9 November 2018 J. Trudeau Goodmans LLP

Supernumerary Justices

Position Name Appointed Nominated by Position(s) Prior to Appointment*
Supernumerary Justice David M Brown[13] 16 December 2014 Harper Superior Court of Justice (2006 to 2014)
Supernumerary Justice Eileen E. Gillese 5 January 2002 Chrétien Superior Court of Justice (1999 to 2002)
Supernumerary Justice Alison Harvison Young 31 August 2018 J. Trudeau Superior Court of Justice (2004 to 2018)
Supernumerary Justice James C. MacPherson 25 May 1999 Chrétien Superior Court of Justice
Supernumerary Justice Peter Lauwers[14] 14 December 2012 Harper Superior Court of Justice (2008 to 2012)
Miller Thompson LLP
Supernumerary Justice Ian Nordheimer[15] 15 September 2017 J. Trudeau Superior Court of Justice (1999 to 2017)

Counsel with Fraser & Beatty / Dentons LLP

Supernumerary Justice Sarah Pepall 10 April 2012 Harper Superior Court of Justice
Supernumerary Justice Paul Rouleau[16] 15 April 2005 Martin Superior Court of Justice (2002 to 2005)
Heenan Blaikie
Supernumerary Justice Janet M. Simmons 23 August 2000 Chrétien Superior Court of Justice

Chief Justices of Ontario

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Number Name Years
1 Sir William Buell Richards[note 1] 1868–1875
2 Robert Alexander Harrison[note 1] 1875–1878
3 Thomas Moss 1878–1881
4 John Godfrey Spragge 1881–1884
5 Sir John Hawkins Hagarty 1884–1897
6 Sir George William Burton 1897–1900
7 John Douglas Armour 1900–1902
8 Sir Charles Moss 1902–1912
9 Sir William Ralph Meredith 1912–1923
10 Sir William Mulock 1923–1936
11 Newton Rowell 1936–1938
12 Robert Spelman Robertson 1938–1952
13 John Wellington Pickup 1952–1957
14 Dana Porter 1958–1967
15 George Alexander Gale 1967–1976
16 Willard Estey 1976–1977
17 William Goldwin Carrington Howland 1977–1990
18 Charles Dubin 1990–1996
19 Roy McMurtry 1996–2007
20 Warren Winkler[17] 2007–2013
21 George Strathy 2014–2022
22 Michael Tulloch 2022–present

Past judges

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Name Time in Office Nominated by Position(s) Prior to Appointment*
Edward W. Ducharme [1] [2] 2012 - 2013 Stephen Harper
Marc Rosenberg[18] 1995–2015 Jean Chretien
Stephen Goudge 1996–2014 Jean Chretien
Warren Winkler, Chief Justice 2007–2013
Dennis O'Connor 1998–2012 Jean Chretien
Michael Moldaver[18] 1995–2011 Jean Chretien
Andromache Karakatsanis 2010–2011
Marvin A. Catzman 1988–2007
Roy McMurtry 1996–2007 as Chief Justice
Louise Charron[18] 1995–2004 Jean Chretien
Rosalie Abella 1992–2004
Louise Arbour 1990–1999
Charles Dubin 1973–1996 (1992–1996 as Chief Justice)
William Goldwin Carrington Howland as Chief Justice 1977–1992
Walter Tarnopolsky 1985–1993
Peter Cory 1981–1989
Bert MacKinnon 1974–1987 as Associate Chief Justice
Bertha Wilson 1975–1982
Goldwyn Arthur Martin 1973–1988
Bora Laskin 1965–1970
Jean-Marc Labrosse 1990–2007
Roy Kellock 1942–1944
Henry Hague Davis 1933–1935
Newton Rowell as Chief Justice 1936–1937
Sir William Mulock as Chief Justice 1923–1936
John Douglas Armour 1887–1890 (as Chief Justice) (1901–1902)
John Hawkins Hagarty as Chief Justice 1884–1897
Thomas Moss as Chief Justice 1878–1880
Robert Alexander Harrison as Chief Justice 1875–1878

Chief Justices of Upper Canada (1792–1841)/Province of Canada (1841–1867)

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Number Name Years
1 William Osgoode 1792–1794
2 John Elmsley 1796–1802
3 Henry Allcock 1802–1806
4 Thomas Scott 1806–1816
5 William Dummer Powell 1816–1825
6 Sir William Campbell 1825–1829
7 Sir John Beverley Robinson 1829–1862
8 William Henry Draper 1863–1867

See also

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Notes

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  1. ^ a b Of the Court of Queen's Bench

References

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  1. ^ Canada, Office of the Commissioner for Federal Judicial Affairs (11 March 2024). "Federal Judicial Appointments - Number of Federally Appointed Judges in Canada". www.fja.gc.ca.
  2. ^ "Court of Appeal for Ontario". Ontariocourts.on.ca. Retrieved 8 April 2013.
  3. ^ "Ontario Judicial Appointments Announced". 2012-06-22. Retrieved 5 August 2018.
  4. ^ "Government of Canada announces judicial appointments in the province of Ontario". 2017-07-18.
  5. ^ "Ontario Judicial Appointments Announced". 2020-04-06.
  6. ^ a b "ONTARIO JUDICIAL APPOINTMENTS ANNOUNCED". Retrieved 1 August 2018.
  7. ^ "ONTARIO JUDICIAL APPOINTMENTS ANNOUNCED". Retrieved 1 August 2018.
  8. ^ Canada, Employment and Social Development (2015-06-26). "Ontario Judicial Appointments Announced - Canada.ca". www.canada.ca.
  9. ^ Canada, Department of Justice (2017-04-07). "Government of Canada announces judicial appointments in the province of Ontario - Canada.ca". www.canada.ca.
  10. ^ "Ontario Judicial Appointments Announced". 2015-05-05.
  11. ^ "Government of Canada announces judicial appointments in the province of Ontario". 2016-10-20. Retrieved 5 March 2018.
  12. ^ "Ontario Judicial Appointments Announced". 9 January 2012. Archived from the original on 9 January 2012.
  13. ^ "Ontario Judicial Appointments Announced". 2014-12-16.
  14. ^ "OTTAWA, December 14, 2012 - Ontario Judicial Appointment Announced". 13 May 2013. Archived from the original on 13 May 2013.
  15. ^ "Government of Canada announces judicial appointment in the province of Ontario". www.newswire.ca.
  16. ^ "Ontario Judicial Appointment Announced". 28 March 2010. Archived from the original on 28 March 2010.
  17. ^ "Appointment of Chief Justice of Ontario announced". Archived from the original on 2010-03-18.
  18. ^ a b c "Press Releases". Archived from the original on 2003-11-11.
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