Ontario. Small Claims Courts

• Small Claims Courts

The Division Courts were renamed the Small Claims Courts by legislation passed in 1970, and brought into effect on January 1, 1971. Proceedings within Small Claims Courts are informal and do not generally require lawyers, although they can be used. In 1979, in the Judicial District of York (Metropolitan Toronto), an experiment was begun that replaced the Small Claims Courts for that district, with Provincial Court (Civil Division) courts; the project also increased the jurisdiction of these courts to cover disputes on debts of up to $3,000. In 1985, Small Claims Courts across the province were re-established as Provincial Court (Civil Division) courts. Jurisdiction for the courts outside of Toronto, however, remained at $1,000.

The Small Claims Courts had jurisdiction over civil disputes concerning outstanding debts of up to $1,000.

Small Claims Courts Act, Statutes of Ontario 1970, Chap. 120

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