Ontario. County and District Court Judges' Criminal Courts

• County and District Court Judges' Criminal Courts

• Ontario. County Judges' Criminal Courts

• Ontario. County Court Judges' Criminal Courts

• CCJCC

A federal act passed in 1869, which applied to Ontario and Quebec, provided for the trial with the consent of the accused, out of session and without a jury, of persons committed to jail for offences triable at quarter sessions in each of the judicial counties of the province. The judge trying such a case constituted a court of record, and any County Judge, or junior Judge, authorized to act as Chairman of the General Sessions of the Peace, was eligible to preside in this new court. Although the "Act for the better administration of Justice in the Courts of Ontario" passed in 1873, appears to establish these courts, and formally names them the County Judges' Criminal Courts, the courts themselves had already existed by the earlier, federal statute of 1869. By statute passed in 1909, the County Judges' Criminal Courts, were renamed the County Court Judges' Criminal Courts. In 1984, these courts were amalgamated with the County (and District) Courts of the province, and the Courts of General Sessions of the Peace, to form the District Court of Ontario.

The following is a simple alphabetical listing of the counties/districts/judicial districts that existed within the Province between 1869 and 1984 (with Dt.= District, Co.=County, and J.D.=Judicial District), along with the dates for which they existed: Algoma Dt. (1859- ); Brant Co. (1853- ); Bruce Co. (1867- ); Cochrane Dt. (1922- ); Dufferin Co. (1881- ); Durham J.D. (1974- ); Elgin Co. (1853- ); Essex Co. (1853- ); Frontenac Co. (1865- ); Grey Co. (1853- ); Haldimand Co. (1851-1974); Haldimand J.D. (1974- ); Haliburton Co. (1874- ); Halton Co. (1855-1973); Halton J.D. (1974- ); Hamilton-Wentworth J.D. (1974- ); Hastings Co. (1850- ); Huron Co. (1867- ); Kenora Dt. (1898- ); Kent Co. (1851- ); Lambton Co. (1853- ); Lanark Co. (1866- ); Leeds and Grenville United Cos. (1850- ); Lennox and Addington United Co. (1865- ); Lincoln Co. (1856-1970); Manitoulin Dt. (1899- ); Middlesex Co. (1850- 1851; 1853- ); Muskoka and Parry Sound Dt. (1888-1898); Muskoka Dt. (1898- ); Niagara North J.D. (1970- ); Niagara South J.D. (1970- ); Nipissing Dt. (1858- ); Norfolk Co. (1850-1974); Norfolk J.D. (1974- ); Northumberland and Durham United Cos. (1850-1973); Northumberland Co. (1974- ); Ontario Co. (1853-1973); Ottawa- Carleton J.D. (1969- ); Oxford Co. (1850- ); Parry Sound Dt. (1898- ); Peel Co. (1866-1973); Peel J.D. (1974- ); Perth Co. (1853- ); Peterborough Co. (1850- 1851; 1863- ); Prescott and Russell United Cos. (1850- ); Prince Edward Co. (1850- ); Rainy River Dt. (1909- ); Renfrew Co. (1866- ); Simcoe Co. (1850- ); Stormont, Dundas and Glengarry United Cos. (1850- ); Sudbury Dt. (1907- ); Temiskaming Dt. (1913- ); Thunder Bay Dt. (1884- );Waterloo Co. (1850-1851; 1853-1973); Waterloo J.D. (1974- ); Wellington Co. (1853- ); Welland Co. (1856- 1970); Wentworth Co. (1855-1973); York Co. (1850-1851; 1866-1970); York J.D. (1971- ); and York Region J.D. (1980- ).

The County Court Judges' Criminal Courts were responsible for hearing cases, normally tried in a Court of General Sessions of the Peace, but where the accused consented to being tried out of sessions and without a jury. As such, the County Court Judges' Criminal Courts had jurisdiction over minor criminal matters, including assault, misdemeanours, and petit larceny, within their respective counties. An Act of 1934 also gave these courts authority to hear appeals assigned to the County Courts by the Criminal Code or the Summary Convictions Act.

The Speedy Trials Act, Statutes of Canada 1869, Chap. 35

An Act for the better administration of Justice in the Courts of Ontario, Statutes of Ontario 1873, Chap. 8

The County Court Judges' Criminal Courts Act, Statutes of Ontario 1909, Chap. 31

RAD: Rules for Archival Description, 2nd edn (2008)

2026-11-16: migrated to AtoM

Banks, Margaret A. Evolution of the Ontario Courts 1788-1981 (1983)

Zuber, The Honourable T.G. Report of the Ontario Courts Inquiry (1987)

Canadian Alamanac, 1869-1985

KWIC Index, 1982-1985

Agency not in Canadiana Name Authorities, 1996-12-24

Archivist(s):
R. Anger