Ontario. Courts of General Sessions of the Peace

• Courts of General Sessions of the Peace

• Ontario. Court of General Quarter Sessions of the Peace

• Upper Canada. Court of General Quarter Sessions of the Peace

• Quebec (Province, 1763-1791). Courts of General Quarter Sessions of the Peace

The Courts of General Quarter Sessions of the Peace were established by Ordinance in 1777 as lower courts of criminal jurisdiction, to be presided over by justices of the peace and to be held every three months in each district of the province. Prior to 1788, the Province of Quebec consisted of just two districts: the Montreal district and the Quebec district. After 1788, however, new districts were established. The western part of the Montreal district, an area that would in three years become the land of Upper Canada, was divided into four new districts: Luneburg, Mecklenburg, Nassau, and Hesse. These four districts, along with the jurisdiction of the justices of the peace to hold Courts of General Quarter Sessions to try cases of minor criminal matters, were continued after 1791 and the establishment of the province of Upper Canada. As new districts (and later counties) were created within the province, new Courts of General Quarter Sessions were, in turn, established for those districts/counties.

In 1841, legislation was passed establishing that the Chairman of the Court of General Quarter Sessions of the Peace for each county, be the County Court Judge for that county.

The name of the Court was changed to the Courts of General Sessions of the Peace by the Law Reform Act of 1868, which also established semi-annual sittings rather than quarterly sessions. In 1892, federal statutes relating to criminal law were consolidated into the Criminal Code. It was not until 1909, however, that an Ontario Act referred to it in defining the jurisdiction of the Courts of General Sessions. By this legislation, the Courts of General Sessions were given jurisdiction "to try all criminal offences except homicide, and the offences mentioned in section 583 of the Criminal Code of Canada". The Criminal Code also allowed the court to hear appeals from convictions for summary conviction offences. In 1933, this jurisdiction was transferred to the County Courts.

In 1984, the Courts of the General Sessions of the Peace, along with the County Courts, and the County Court Judges' Criminal Courts, were amalgamated 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 1777 and 1984 (with Dt.= District, Co.=County, and J.D.=Judicial District), along with the dates for which they existed: Algoma Dt. (1859- ); Bathurst Dt. (1822-1849); Brant Co. (1853- ); Brock Dt. (1839-1849); Bruce Co. (1867- ); Carleton Co. ( 1850- 1969); Cochrane Dt. (1922- ); Colborne Dt. (1841-1849); Dalhousie Dt. (1842-1849); Dufferin Co. (1881- ); Durham J.D. (1974- ); Eastern Dt. (1792-1849); Elgin Co. (1853- ); Essex, Kent and Lambton United Cos. (1850-1851); Essex and Lambton United Cos. (1851-1853); Essex Co. (1853- ); Frontenac, Lennox and Addington United Cos. (1850-1865); Frontenac Co. (1865- ); Gore Dt. (1816-1849); 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- ); Hesse Dt. (1788- 1792); Home Dt. (1792-1849); Huron District (1841-1849); Huron, Perth and Bruce United Cos. (1850-1853); Huron and Bruce United Cos. (1853- 1867); Huron Co. (1867- ); Johnstown Dt. (1798-1849); Kenora Dt. (1898- ); Kent Co. (1851- ); Lambton Co. (1853- ); Lanark and Renfrew United Cos. (1850-1866); Lanark Co. (1866- ); Leeds and Grenville United Cos. (1850- ); Lennox and Addington United Co. (1865- ); Lincoln, Haldimand and Welland United Cos. (1850-1851); Lincoln and Welland United Cos. (1851-1856); Lincoln Co. (1856-1970); London Dt. (1798-1849); Luneburg Dt. (1788- 1792); Manitoulin Dt. (1899- ); Mecklenburg Dt. (1788-1792); Middlesex Co. (1850-1851; 1853- ); Middlesex andMontreal Dt. (1777-1788); Muskoka and Parry Sound Dt. (1888-1898); Muskoka Dt. (1898- ); Nassau Dt. (1788- 1792); Newcastle Dt. (1802-1849); Niagara Dt. (1798-1849); 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 Dt. (1816-1849); 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- ); Peterborough and Victoria United Cos. (1851-1863); Prescott and Russell United Cos. (1850- ); Prince Edward Dt. (1834-1849); Prince Edward Co. (1850- ); Rainy River Dt. (1909- ); Renfrew Co. (1866- ); Simcoe Dt. (1837-1849); Simcoe Co. (1850- ); Stormont, Dundas and Glengarry United Cos. (1850- ); Sudbury Dt. (1907- ); Talbot Dt. (1837-1849); Temiskaming Dt. (1913- ); Thunder Bay Dt. (1884- ); Victoria Dt. (1839-1849); Victoria Co. (1863- ); Waterloo Co. (1850- 1851; 1853-1973); Waterloo J.D. (1974- ); Waterloo, Wellington and Grey United Cos. (1851-1853); Wellington Dt. (1840-1849); Wellington Co. (1853- ); Welland Co. (1856-1970); Wentworth and Halton United Cos. (1850-1851; 1853-1855); Wentworth, Halton and Brant United Cos. (1851- 1853); Wentworth Co. (1855-1973); Western Dt. (1792-1849); York Co. (1850-1851; 1866-1970); York, Ontario and Peel United Cos. (1851-1853); York and Peel United Cos. (1853- 1866); York J.D. (1971- ); and York Region J.D. (1980- ).

The Courts of General Quarter Sessions of the Peace had jurisdiction over minor criminal matters, with responsibility for the trial of cases involving breaches of the peace in their respective districts, including assault, misdemeanours, and petit larceny. The Sessions were also responsible for establishing the divisions of the districts in which the Courts of Request were to be held, and for the appointment of the justices of the peace to preside over these courts. In addition to these, and until 1841 when District Councils were established, the Sessions were also responsible for local district administration, including the granting of tavern, shop, and still licenses, and for the building of a proper courthouse and gaol for the district.

Ordinance for Establishing Courts of Criminal Jurisdiction in the Province of Quebec, March 4, 1777

Law Reform Act, Statutes of Ontario 1869, Chap. 6

An Act respecting the Courts of General Sessions of the Peace, Statutes of Ontario 1909, Chap. 30

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)

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

Archivist(s):
R. Anger