Ontario. Unified Family Court

• Unified Family Court

The Unified Family Court began as a pilot project in the Judicial District of Hamilton-Wentworth, in 1977. Established in response to the recommendations of the federal and Ontario law reform commissions, the Court replaced the Provincial Court (Family Division) in Hamilton-Wentworth, and was designed to unify the exercise of jurisdiction in all family matters into one court. As of 1994, the Unified Family Court consisted of five judges (plus one supernumerary judge) and was presided over by a Senior Judge of the General Division for the Unified Family Court. Appeals from the judgements of this court lie with either the Court of Appeal or with a judge of the Supreme Court depending on whether the judgement is from a final order or decision, or from an interlocutory order or decision.

In 1994, the experiment of the Unified Family Court was entrenched with the creation of the Family Court branch of the Ontario Court of Justice (General Division). The new Family Court was established in Hamilton, London, Barrie, Kingston and Napanee.

The Unified Family Court has exclusive, original jurisdiction over family matters as set out in the Unified Family Court Act. As such, Unified Family Court judges have jurisdiction over the enforcement of a number of statutes including, the Annulment of Marriages Act (Ont.) and (Canada); the Divorce Act (Canada); the juvenile Delinquents Act (Canada); the Child Welfare Act; the Children's Boarding Homes Act; the Education Act; the Family Law Reform Act; the Infants Act; the Marriage Act; the Minor's Protection Act; the Reciprocal Enforcement of Maintenance Orders Act; and the Training Schools Act.

Unified Family Court Act, Statutes of Ontario 1976, Chap. 85

RAD: Rules for Archival Description, 2nd edn (2008)

2026-11-16: migrated to AtoM

Ministry of the Attorney General. Civil Justice Review, 1995

KWIC Indexes, 1984-1995

Agency not in Canadiana Name Authorities, 1996-12-24

Archivist(s):
R. Anger