The Courts we serve

The 4 Courts served by the Courts Administration Service are superior courts of record. They were established by the Parliament of Canada pursuant to its authority under section 101 of the Constitution Act, 1867 to establish courts "for the better Administration of the Laws of Canada".

Federal Court of Appeal

The Federal Court of Appeal (formerly the Appeal Division of the Federal Court of Canada) has jurisdiction to hear appeals from decisions of the Federal Court, certain statutory appeals and appeals from decisions of the Tax Court of Canada. It also has exclusive jurisdiction to hear and determine applications for judicial review of decisions of 14 federal boards, commissions and tribunals listed in section 28 of the Federal Courts Act. Parties to a proceeding in the Federal Court of Appeal may be granted leave, or permission, to appeal the Federal Court of Appeal decision to the Supreme Court of Canada when a case involves a question of public importance.

Federal Court

The Federal Court (formerly the Trial Division of the Federal Court of Canada) is a court of first instance. It has original, but not exclusive, jurisdiction over cases by and against the Crown, appeals under approximately 110 federal statutes and proceedings involving admiralty law, intellectual property law, aboriginal law and national security. The Court also has exclusive jurisdiction to hear and determine applications for judicial review of the decisions of all federal boards, commissions and tribunals other than those over which the Federal Court of Appeal has jurisdiction (see above). This jurisdiction includes, in particular, applications for judicial review of decisions of the Immigration and Refugee Board.

Court Martial Appeal Court of Canada

The main function of the Court Martial Appeal Court of Canada is to hear appeals from courts martial, which are military courts established under the National Defence Act that hear cases under the Code of Service Discipline found in Parts III and VII of that Act.

Tax Court of Canada

The Tax Court of Canada has exclusive original jurisdiction to hear appeals and references under 12 different Acts of Parliament. Most of the appeals made to the Court relate to income tax, the goods and services tax, or employment insurance. While many appeals are subject to procedures similar to those of the Federal Court, appeals under what is known as the "informal procedure" are heard as informally and expeditiously as circumstances and considerations of fairness permit.