Ontario. Provincial Court. Civil Division

• Civil Division

The Provincial Court (Civil Division) began as an experimental project in Metropolitan Toronto (Judicial District of York) in 1979, with the intent of making civil remedies more accessible and of relieving some of the workload pressures on the County Court. The monetary jurisdiction for the Court was also increased to $3,000 from $1,000.

The divisions established under the Small Claims Act for the municipality thus became local divisions of the Provincial Court; the judges for the court being full time Provincial Court judges, appointed by the Lieutenant Governor in Council.

In 1985 all Small Claims Courts within the province were re-established as Provincial Court (Civil Division) courts. The monetary jurisdiction of the courts outside Metropolitan Toronto, however, remained at $1,000.

In 1989, the Courts of Justice Amendment Act was passed, which amalgamated the Supreme, District and Surrogate Courts, along with the Provincial Courts (Civil Division), into the Ontario Court (General Division). Courts for the hearing of small claims were established as a branch of this new court and named the Ontario Court (General Division) Small Claims Court.

The Provincial Court (Civil Division) had jurisdiction over civil disputes concerning outstanding debts of up to $1,000 ($3,000 in Metropolitan Toronto).

The Provincial Court (Civil Division) Project Act, Statutes of Ontario 1979, Chap. 67

Provincial Court (Civil Division) Project Amendment Act, Statutes of Ontario 1982, Chap. 58

Courts of Justice Act, Statutes of Ontario 1984, Chap. 11

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