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| Supreme Court of British Columbia | |
|---|---|
.svg) The Royal Arms of the United Kingdom, used by the Supreme Court | |
| Jurisdiction |  British Columbia |
| Location | Cariboo; Kootenay; Nanaimo; Prince Rupert; Vancouver; Victoria; New Westminster; and Yale |
| Authorised by | Supreme Court Act, 1996 |
| Number of positions | 102 |
| Website | Supreme Court |
| Chief Justice | |
| Currently | Ron Skolrood |
| Since | October 2024 |
TheSupreme Court of British Columbia is thesuperior trial court for theprovince ofBritish Columbia, Canada. The Court hearscivil andcriminal law cases as well as appeals from theProvincial Court of British Columbia. There are 90 judicial positions on the Court in addition to supernumerary judges, making for a grand total of 108 judges.[1] There are also 13 Supreme Courtmasters, who hear and dispose of a wide variety of applications in chambers.[2]
The court was established in 1859 as the "Supreme Court of the Mainland of British Columbia" to distinguish it from the "Supreme Court of Vancouver Island". The two courts merged in 1870 under the present name.[3]
The British Columbia Supreme Court is acourt of record and has originaljurisdiction in all cases, civil and criminal, arising in British Columbia. The Court hasinherent jurisdiction under theConstitution of Canada, in addition to any jurisdiction granted to it by federal or provincial statute.
The Court has jurisdiction in any civil dispute, including those matters where the dollar amount involved is within the jurisdiction of theSmall Claims division of the Provincial Court. Under theCriminal Code, the Court is included as a "superior court of criminal jurisdiction" meaning that it has exclusive jurisdiction for the trial of serious crimes within British Columbia.
The Court also hears some appeals from the Provincial Court and some administrative tribunals. Appeals from its own judgments are heard by theBritish Columbia Court of Appeal.
The Supreme Court is also responsible for call ceremonies for admittinglawyers andnotaries public where the respective oath of office is administered by a justice.[4][5]
All justices of the Supreme Court (including the position ofChief Justice and Associate Chief Justice) are appointed by thefederalcabinet, on recommendation of theMinister of Justice. All justices have full jurisdiction over any matter before the Court.
Associate judges are appointed by the provincialcabinet, on recommendation of theAttorney General in consultation with the Chief Justice. As provincial appointees, associate judges do not have inherent jurisdiction. Their jurisdiction is limited to those matters granted to them bystatute and the Rules of Court. Associate judges preside in chambers, where they usually hearinterlocutory applications and other pre-trial matters. Associate judges cannot hear civil trials and do not preside in criminal matters.[6]
Associate judges were originally known as masters. Pursuant to a British ColumbiaOrder in Council, the position was renamed from "master" to "associate judge".[7] In court, masters were addressed as "Master," but in a practice direction issued on September 6, 1991, then Chief Justice Esson advised the most appropriate form of address would be "your Honour". Masters also sit and hear matters as registrars, hearing such matters as assessments of solicitors fees and accounts.
The Supreme Court sits in eight judicial districts called "counties". That is the only usage of "county" in British Columbia, which is a reference only to such court districts and has no similarity to the meaning in other provinces of Canada, the United States or United Kingdom. Prior to 1990, there existed in British Columbia aCounty Court, an intermediate court between the Provincial Court and the Supreme Court. In 1990, the County Court was merged with the Supreme Court, and its judges became justices of the Supreme Court. The judicial districts of the Supreme Court have the same boundaries of the counties of the former County Court.[8] The judicial districts are: Cariboo; Kootenay; Nanaimo; Prince Rupert; Vancouver Westminster; Victoria; and Yale.[9] Within each county, or judicial district, justices are resident in the following locations:
The Supreme Court also holds sittings in the following court locations for which there is not a resident justice:[8]
Prior to 1909, when the British Columbia Court of Appeal was established, the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court was considered the Chief Justice of British Columbia.
| Name[10] | Duration |
|---|---|
| Ron Skolrood | 2024-Present |
| Christopher E. Hinkson | 2013–2024 |
| Robert James Bauman | 2009–2013 |
| Donald Ian Brenner | 2000–2009 |
| Bryan Williams | 1996–2000 |
| William A. Esson | 1989–1996 |
| Beverley McLachlin (afterwardsChief Justice of Canada, 2000–2017) | 1988–1989 |
| Allan McEachern (afterwards Chief Justice of BC Court of Appeal, 1988) | 1979–1988 |
| Nathaniel Nemetz (afterwards Chief Justice of BC Court of Appeal, 1979) | 1973–1979 |
| John Owen Wilson | 1963–1973 |
| Sherwood Lett (afterwards Chief Justice of BC Court of Appeal, 1963) | 1955–1963 |
| Wendell Burpee Farris (died 1955) | 1942–1955 |
| Aulay MacAulay Morrison | 1929–1942 |
| Gordon Hunter | 1902–1929 |
| Angus John McColl | 1898–1902 |
| Theodore Davie | 1895–1898 |
| Matthew Baillie Begbie (incumbent Chief Justice of theColony of British Columbia at the time B.C. joined Canada) | 1869–1894 |
| Name[10] | Duration |
|---|---|
| Heather J. Holmes | 2018–present |
| Austin F. Cullen | 2011–2017 |
| Anne W. MacKenzie | 2010–2011 |
| Patrick D. Dohm | 1995–2010 |