Helpful Links

This page provides links to reference sources on the Canadian justice system, legislation, the courts, and other public justice institutions.

• Canada’s System of Justice
• Legal Jurisdictions
• Canada’s Court System
• Laws of Canada
• Justice Information and Education
• Law Enforcement

Canada’s System of Justice

Canada’s System of Justice – Department of Justice publication offering a brief outline of Canada's laws and the whole justice system.

Common Law and Civil Law – explains the two legal traditions from which Canada draws its legal system: English common law and French civil law (Quebec).

Legal Jurisdictions

The authority to make laws in Canada is divided between the Government of Canada and the provincial and territorial governments. The federal government deals with matters that affect all of Canada, such as criminal law, trade between provinces, telecommunications, immigration (with the exception of Quebec) and extradition, and fisheries. The provinces and territories make laws in such areas as education, property and health services.

Canada’s Department of Justice – Department of Justice publication on the role of the Department, what it does and its responsibilities.

Provincial and Territorial Departments of Justice/Attorney General

• Alberta
• British Columbia
  
• Manitoba
• New Brunswick
• Newfoundland and Labrador
• Northwest Territories
• Nova Scotia
• Nunavut
• Ontario
• Prince Edward Island
• Quebec
• Saskatchewan
• Yukon

Canada’s Court System

Canada's Court System – Department of Justice publication providing a general description of the court system in Canada, the types and levels of courts and their responsibilities.

Federal Courts

• Supreme Court of Canada – Canada’s highest court and the final general court of appeal.
  
  
• Federal Court – Canada's national trial court, it hears and decides legal disputes in areas of federal jurisdiction.
  
  
• Federal Court of Appeal – hears appeals from the Federal Court.
  
  
• Court Martial Appeal Court of Canada – hears appeals from military courts, known as courts martial.
  
  
• Tax Court of Canada – hears appeals primarily related to income tax, the goods and services tax and employment insurance.
  
  
• Courts Administration Service – provides administrative services to the Federal Court, the Federal Court of Appeal, the Court Martial Appeal Court of Canada and the Tax Court of Canada.

Provincial Courts

• Alberta
• British Columbia
  
• Manitoba
  
• New Brunswick
  
• Newfoundland and Labrador
  
• Nova Scotia
  
• Ontario
  
• Prince Edward Island
  
• Quebec (select name of court from the left navigation bar)
  
• Saskatchewan

Administrative Tribunals – federal and provincial agencies that exercise some form of quasi-judicial decision making. Mandates and responsibilities include human rights and freedoms, economic regulatory matters, socioeconomic matters and appeals.

• Definition (The Canadian Encyclopedia)
• Council of Canadian Administrative Tribunals
  • Administrative Tribunals in Canada by jurisdiction (PDF)

Laws of Canada

Parliament of Canada – contains an on-line searchable resource of all government and private members bills before Parliament and their status (readings) before the House of Commons and the Senate.

• LEGISinfo – general information on legislation, including how a bill becomes a law.

Consolidated Statutes and Regulations (The Laws Site) -- the on-line source for all Canadian laws or statutes and their regulations.

Canada Gazette – the “official newspaper” of the Government of Canada since 1841, it publishes all laws and regulations, including proposed regulations, as well as government and private sector notices.

Guide to Making Federal Acts and Regulations ­ document prepared by Privy Council Office.

Frequently Asked Questions – answers to some questions about federal laws and regulations.

Justice Information and Education

Statistics

Statistics Canada – statistics on crime and justice.

• Free Internet Publications (Statistics Canada) – an index of statistical reports available at no charge on various topics and types of crime, such as organized crime, cyber-crime, hate crime, and victim services.

Canadian Centre for Justice Statistics – electronic data tables illustrating current and historical data from a number of Statistics Canada surveys.

Public Legal Education and Information – these organizations help to provide citizens with the legal information they need to make informed decisions and participate effectively in the justice system. These organizations do not give "legal advice"; they provide information or referrals about various aspects of the law; for example, new legislation; child support guidelines; rights of victims; family violence; or youth justice.

• Funding Support (Department of Justice)
• Public Legal Education Network of Alberta
  
• The People's Law School (British Columbia)
  
• Community Legal Education Association (Manitoba)
  
• Public Legal Education and Information Service of New Brunswick
  
• Public Legal Information Association of Newfoundland and Labrador
  
• Legal Services Board of the Northwest Territories
  
• Legal Information Society of Nova Scotia
  
• Community Legal Education Ontario
  
• Community Legal Information Association of Prince Edward Island
  
• Éducaloi (Quebec)
  
• Public Legal Education Association of Saskatchewan
  
• Yukon Public Legal Education Association

Canadian Legal Information Institute – a not-for-profit organization launched by the Federation of Law Societies of Canada with the goal of making primary sources of Canadian law accessible at no charge on the Internet.

Law Organizations

Canadian Bar Association – represents some 38,000 lawyers, judges, notaries, law teachers, and law students from across Canada. Approximately two-thirds of all practising lawyers in Canada belong to the CBA.

• Provincial branches of the CBA

Federation of Law Societies of Canada – umbrella organization of the fourteen Law Societies in Canada that govern legal professionals. The Federation represents 83,000 lawyers in Canada and 3,200 notaries in Quebec.

Law Enforcement

Public Safety Canada – works in close collaboration with federal, provincial, territorial and international law enforcement and border security agencies to develop appropriate national policies for new and evolving crime and border issues. Its portfolio includes:

• Royal Canadian Mounted Police
• Canada Border Services Agency

Provincial Police

• Ontario Provincial Police
• Royal Newfoundland Constabulary
  
• Sûreté du Québec
  
• Royal Canadian Mounted Police detachments (all other provinces)

Municipal Police

• Canadian Association of Chiefs of Police
• Canadian Police Association