Ontario. Provincial Court. Criminal Division

• Criminal Division

The Provincial Court (Criminal Division) was established by statute in 1968, replacing the Magistrates' Courts. The Provincial Courts, consisting of both the Criminal Division and the Family Division, were in large part, created on the recommendations of the Royal Commission Inquiry into Civil Rights, also known as the McRuer Commission.

Under the new act, each county and district of the province was to have a Provincial Court (Criminal Division) and a Provincial Court (Family Division). Provincial judges were appointed by the Lieutenant Governor in Council on the advice of the Minister of Justice and Attorney General. Each provincial judge had jurisdiction throughout Ontario, as well as all the authority of a magistrate, two justices of the peace sitting together, or a juvenile and family court judge.

The positions of Chief Judge of the Provincial Court (Criminal Division) and Chief Judge of the Provincial Court (Family Division) were also established by the act. These Chief Judges were responsible for supervising and directing the arrangement of sittings of their respective courts and for the assigning of judges to hearings. In 1977, an Associate Chief Judge was added to each division. In 1989, the criminal and family divisions of the Provincial Court, along with the Provincial Offences Court, were merged to form the Ontario Court of Justice (Provincial Division).

The Provincial Court (Criminal Division) has jurisdiction over criminal matters, rendering judgement in cases under the Criminal Code of Canada and other federal statutes.

Provincial Courts Act, Statutes of Ontario 1968, Chap. 103

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)

Ministry of the Attorney General. Civil Justice Review 1995.

Canadiana Name Authorities, 1996-12-24

Archivist(s):
R. Anger