Court of Appeal for Ontario

The Court of Appeal for Ontario (frequently referred to as Ontario Court of Appeal or OCA) is headquartered in downtown Toronto, in historic Osgoode Hall.

The Court is composed of 23 judges who hear over 1,500 appeals each year, on issues of private law, constitutional law, criminal law, administrative law, and other matters. The Supreme Court of Canada hears appeals from less than 3% of the decisions of the Court of Appeal; in a very practical sense, the Court of Appeal is the last avenue of appeal for most litigants in Canada's most populous province.^[1] Among the Court of Appeal's most notable decisions was a 2003 ruling that legalized same-sex marriage in Ontario, making Canada the first jurisdiction in the world where same-sex marriage was legalized by a court ruling. Among many judges from the Court who have been elevated to the Supreme Court of Canada are Justices Rosalie Abella, Louise Arbour, Peter Cory, Louise Charron, Andromache Karakatsanis, Bora Laskin, Michael Moldaver and Bertha Wilson. Justice Bertha Wilson was the first female justice on both the Ontario Court of Appeal (1975) and the Supreme Court of Canada (1982).

The court derives its jurisdiction from Ontario's Courts of Justice Act.

Current Justices

An OCA courtroom at Osgoode Hall. Over the dais is the Royal Arms of the United Kingdom, which until 1931 was the Royal Arms for general purposes throughout the British Empire. The Statute of Westminster, 1931 effectively elevated the Royal Arms of Canada to the position of the Queen's Royal Arms for general purposes across Canada, which is why the Canadian Coat of Arms are now used by the court to represent the Canadian Crown.

Chief Justices of Ontario

Past Justices

• Marc Rosenberg (1995-2015)
• Stephen Goudge (1996-2014)
• Warren Winkler, Chief Justice (2007-2013)
• Dennis O'Connor (1998-2012)
• Michael Moldaver (1995–2011)
• Andromache Karakatsanis (2010–2011)
• Marvin A. Catzman (1988–2007)
• Roy McMurtry as Chief Justice (1996–2007)
• Louise Charron (1995–2004)
• Rosalie Abella (1992–2004)
• Louise Arbour (1990–1999)
• Charles Dubin (1973–1996), Chief Justice (1992-1996)
• William Goldwin Carrington Howland Chief Justice (1977-1992)
• Walter Tarnopolsky (1985–1993)
• Peter Cory (1981–1989)
• Bert MacKinnon, Associate Chief Justice (1974-1987)
• Bertha Wilson (1975–1982)
• Goldwyn Arthur Martin (1973–1988)
• Bora Laskin (1965–1970)
• Jean-Marc Labrosse (1990–2007)
• Roy Kellock (1942–1944)
• Henry Hague Davis (1933–1935)
• Newton Wesley Rowell as Chief Justice (1936–1937)
• Sir William Mulock as Chief Justice (1923–1936)
• John Douglas Armour (1887–1890) as Chief Justice (1901–1902)
• John Hawkins Hagarty as Chief Justice (1884–1897)
• Thomas Moss as Chief Justice (1878–1880)
• Robert Alexander Harrison as Chief Justice (1875–1878)

Chief Justice of Upper Canada (to 1841)/Province of Canada (1841-1867)

See also

• Supreme Court of Canada

Notes

References

External links

• Court of Appeal for Ontario official site
• Plan to webcast Ontario appeal cases delayed

Politics of Ontario
Crown in Ontario	Elizabeth II
Lieutenant Governor	Elizabeth Dowdeswell Former Lieutenant Governors
Premier	Kathleen Wynne List of Premiers List of Premiers by time in office
Opposition Leader	Patrick Brown Former Opposition Leaders
Speaker of the Assembly	Dave Levac Former Speakers
Legislature	Current assembly Former legislatures Cabinet
Political parties	Liberals Progressive Conservatives New Democrats Trillium List of political parties by time in office
Elections	Ontario general election, 2014 Past elections Ontario electoral districts
Current issues	Equalization payments Ontario general election, 2014
Other Canadian politics	Federal AB BC MB NB NL NS ON PE QC SK NT NU YU

Courts of Canada
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