Identity area
Type of entity
Authorized form of name
Parallel form(s) of name
Standardized form(s) of name according to other rules
Divisional Court
Other form(s) of name
Identifiers for corporate bodies
Description area
Dates of existence
History
The Divisional Court of the High Court of Justice for Ontario was established in 1972, based on one of the recommendations of the Royal Commission Inquiry into Civil Rights, chaired by the Honourable J.C. McRuer. Proceedings of a Divisional Court were heard, determined and disposed of before three High Court judges, one of which had to be the Chief Justice of the High Court, or a judge of the High Court designated by the Chief Justice. Sittings of the Divisional Court were to be held in Toronto on a continuous basis, and in London, Ottawa, Sudbury, Sault Ste. Marie and Thunder Bay at such times as the Chief Justice of the High Court deemed necessary.
Appeals of Divisional Court judgements could be made to the Court of Appeal, if it was on a question of law. In 1989, the High Court of Justice, along with the District Court, and the Surrogate Courts were merged to form the Ontario Court of Justice (General Division). The Divisional Court was continued as a branch within the Ontario Court of Justice (General Division).
Places
Legal status
Functions, occupations and activities
The Divisional Court was an inferior appeals court in Ontario with jurisdiction to hear and determine applications and appeals referred to it by courts other than the High Court or the County Courts, which by statute, could only be heard by the Court of Appeal. The jurisdiction of the Divisional Court was further limited in that it did not cover criminal appeals, which under the Criminal Code of Canada, also lie with the Court of Appeal.
Address
An Act to Amend the Judicature Act, Statutes of Ontario 1970, Chap. 97
An Act to Amend the Judicature Act, Statutes of Ontario 1971, Chap 57
Internal structures/genealogy
General context
Relationships area
Related entity
Identifier of related entity
Category of relationship
Type of relationship
Dates of relationship
Description of relationship
Related entity
Identifier of related entity
Category of relationship
Type of relationship
Dates of relationship
Description of relationship
Access points area
Subject access points
Place access points
Epithet
Control area
Authority record identifier
Institution identifier
Rules and/or conventions used
RAD: Rules for Archival Description, 2nd edn (2008)
Status
Level of detail
Dates of creation, revision and deletion
2026-11-16: migrated to AtoM
Language(s)
Script(s)
Sources
Ministry of the Attorney General. Civil Justice Review 1995
Banks, Margaret A. Evolution of the Ontario Courts 1788-1981 (1983)
Zuber, The Honourable T.G. Report of the Ontario Courts Inquiry (1987)
Maintenance notes
The form of name used is not the form used in Canadiana (which is "Ontario. Divisional Court"). The reason for going with a different name was to better show the courts as a branch of the High Court of Justice.
Archivist(s):
R. Anger