Ontario. High Court of Justice. Common Pleas Division

• Common Pleas Division

The Common Pleas Division of the High Court of Justice was established in 1881. With the passage of the Ontario Judicature Act of 1881, the court system for Ontario was considerably reorganized. The Courts of Queen's Bench, Appeal, Chancery, and Common Pleas were merged together to form the Supreme Court of Judicature for Ontario. This new Supreme Court, in turn, consisted of two branches: the High Court of Justice, and the Court of Appeal. Within the High Court of Justice there were a further three divisions established: the Queen's Bench Division, the Chancery Division, and the Common Pleas Division. The number of judges in the Common Pleas Division was to be the same as the number of judges in the old Court of Common Pleas, ie. three, with the Chief Justice of the Common Pleas being the President of the new division.

One of the primary differences between the Common Pleas Division and the earlier Court of Common Pleas was the fact that each of the three divisions within the High Court of Justice were now empowered with authority over both equitable and legal jurisdiction.

In 1913, the Law Reform Act of 1909 was brought into force, changing the name of the Supreme Court of Judicature for Ontario to the Supreme Court of Ontario; its two branches, instead of being called the Court of Appeal and the High Court of Justice, were to be known as the Appellate Division and the High Court Division. With the passing of this Act, the former divisions of the High Court of Justice, including the Common Pleas Division, were abolished

The Common Pleas Division of the High Court of Justice had authority over all matters of actions, causes and suits, both criminal and civil, within the Province of Ontario.

Ontario Judicature Act, Statutes of Ontario 1881, Chap. 5

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 Almanac, 1881-1913

Canadiana Name Authorities, 1996-12-24

Archivist(s):
R. Anger