Ontario. Juvenile and Family Courts

• Juvenile and Family Courts

The Juvenile Delinquents Act of 1908, a federal statute, provided for the option of local counties or districts within Ontario to establish Juvenile Courts. In 1910, an Ontario statute was passed proclaiming that County or District Court Judges' Criminal Courts and Police Magistrates, constituted a Juvenile Court in those areas in which the local authorities had proclaimed the Juvenile Delinquents Act to be in effect.

The Act of 1910 was repealed in 1916, with the passing of the Juvenile Courts Act, which provided for the establishment of specific juvenile courts in those cities, towns, and counties where the Juvenile Delinquents Act had been, or would be, proclaimed. With this act, judges of the juvenile courts were to be appointed by the Lieutenant Governor in Council. Justices of the Peace could also preside over a juvenile court, upon the written request of the Attorney General.

A new Juvenile Courts Act was passed in 1927, which in essence, consolidated the existing legislation covering the Juvenile Courts. The Act was renamed the Juvenile and Family Courts Act, in 1934, with provisions allowing for the change of the name of a "juvenile court" to that of a "family court" under certain circumstances. With an Act, passed in 1954, however, all "juvenile" and "family" courts in the province were renamed "Juvenile and Family Courts".

In 1968, the Juvenile and Family Courts were replaced with the Provincial Courts (Family Division).

Juvenile and Family Courts had jurisdiction over the enforcement of criminal matters, as well as powers under several Ontario statutes such as the Training Schools Act, Deserted Wives and Children's Maintenance Act, and the Child Welfare Act.

An Act respecting Juvenile Courts, Statutes of Ontario 1910, Chap. 96

Juvenile Courts Act, Statutes of Ontario 1916, Chap. 54

Juvenile Courts Act, Statutes of Ontario 1927, Chap. 33

Juvenile and Family Courts Act, Statutes of Ontario 1934, Chap. 25

Juvenile and Family Courts Act, Statutes of Ontario 1954, Chap. 41

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)

Canadiana Name Authorities, 1996-12-24

Archivist(s):
R. Anger