View source for Court of Appeal for Ontario

{{Short description|Canadian provincial appellate court}}
{{Infobox court
| court_name = Court of Appeal for Ontario
| image = Royal Coat of arms of Canada.svg
| imagesize = 120px
| established = 1867
| jurisdiction = [[Ontario]]
| location = [[Osgoode Hall]], [[Toronto]]
| coordinates = 
| type = 
| authority = ''Courts of Justice Act''
| appealsto = [[Supreme Court of Canada]]
| terms = 
| positions = 23 (plus [[Supernumerary judge|supernumeraries]])
| website = [https://www.ontariocourts.ca/coa/ ontariocourts.ca/coa]
| chiefjudgetitle = [[Chief Justice of Ontario]]
| chiefjudgename = [[Michael Tulloch]]
| termstart = December 19, 2022
}}

The '''Court of Appeal for Ontario''' (frequently mistakenly referred to as the '''Ontario Court of Appeal''') ('''ONCA''' is the abbreviation for its neutral citation) is the [[appellate court]] for the province of [[Ontario]], [[Canada]]. The seat of the court is [[Osgoode Hall]] in [[downtown Toronto]] (also the seat of the [[Law Society of Ontario]] and the Divisional Court of the [[Ontario Superior Court of Justice]]).

==Description==
The [[Court]] is composed of 22 judicial seats, in addition to 10 justices who currently sit supernumerary.<ref>{{cite web| url=http://www.fja.gc.ca/appointments-nominations/judges-juges-eng.aspx| title=Federal Judicial Appointments - Number of Federally Appointed Judges in Canada| website=Office of the Commissioner for Federal Judicial Affairs| date=11 March 2024}}</ref> They hear over 1,500 appeals each year, on issues of [[private law]], [[Canadian constitutional law|constitutional law]], [[Canadian criminal law|criminal law]], [[Canadian administrative 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 for Ontario, therefore in a practical sense, the Court of Appeal is the last avenue of appeal for most litigants in Ontario.<ref>{{cite web| url=http://www.ontariocourts.on.ca/coa/en/ |title=Court of Appeal for Ontario| website=Ontario Courts| access-date=8 April 2013}}</ref>

Among the Court of Appeal's most notable decisions was the 2003 ruling in ''[[Halpern v Canada (AG)]]'' that found defining marriage as between one man and one woman to violate [[Section 15 of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms]], legalizing [[same-sex marriage in Ontario]] and 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 [[Mahmud Jamal]], as well as [[Bertha Wilson]], who was the first female justice on both the Court of Appeal for Ontario (1975) and the Supreme Court of Canada (1982).

The Court of Appeal derives its jurisdiction from Ontario's ''[https://web.archive.org/web/20071010233830/http://www.canlii.org/on/laws/sta/c-43/ Courts of Justice Act]''.

==Current judges==
[[Image:Osgoode Hall, courtroom -2.jpg|right|thumb|240px|A courtroom at [[Osgoode Hall]]. Over the dais are the [[Royal Arms of the United Kingdom]], which until 1931 were 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 King's Royal Arms for general purposes across Canada, which is why the Royal Arms of Canada are now used in courtrooms built since 1931 to represent the [[Canadian Crown]].]]
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|- "
! Position
! Name
! Appointed
! Nominated by
! class="unsortable"|Position(s) Prior to Appointment*
|-
|Chief Justice
|[[Michael Tulloch]]<ref>{{cite press release| url=http://www.justice.gc.ca/eng/news-nouv/ja-nj/2012/doc_32756.html| access-date=5 August 2018| title=Ontario Judicial Appointments Announced| publisher=Government of Canada| date=2012-06-22}}</ref>
|{{dts|format=dmy|2012|6|30}}<br>{{dts|format=dmy|2022|12|19}} (as chief)
|Harper<br>J. Trudeau
||[[Ontario Superior Court of Justice|Superior Court of Justice]] (2003 to 2012) <Br> Private practice
|-
| Associate Chief Justice
|J. Michal Fairburn<ref>{{cite press release| title=Government of Canada announces judicial appointments in the province of Ontario| url=https://www.canada.ca/en/department-justice/news/2017/07/government_of_canadaannouncesjudicialappointmentsintheprovinceof.html| date=18 July 2017| publisher=Department of Justice}}</ref>
|{{dts|format=dmy|2017|7|18}}<br>{{dts|format=dmy|2020|9|3}}
|J. Trudeau
|[[Ontario Superior Court of Justice|Superior Court of Justice]] (December 16, 2014 to July 18, 2017) <BR>Stockwoods<br>
Ontario Crown Law Office
|-
| Justice
|Jill Copeland
|{{dts|format=dmy|2022|03|28}}
|J. Trudeau
|[[Ontario Superior Court of Justice|Superior Court of Justice]] (2017 to 2022) <br> Ontario Court of Justice (2014 to 2017) <br>
|-
| Justice
|Steve A. Coroza<ref>{{cite press release| title=Ontario Judicial Appointments Announced|url= https://www.canada.ca/en/department-justice/news/2020/04/government-of-canada-announces-judicial-appointments-in-the-province-of-ontario.html| date=6 April 2020| publisher=Department of Justice}}</ref>
|{{dts|format=dmy|2020|04|06}}
|J. Trudeau
|[[Ontario Superior Court of Justice|Superior Court of Justice]] (2013 to 2020) <br> Ontario Court of Justice (2009 to 2013) <br>
|-
|Justice
|Jonathan Dawe
|{{dts|format=dmy|2023|11|6}}
|J. Trudeau
|[[Ontario Superior Court of Justice|Superior Court of Justice]] (2018 to 2023)
|-
| Justice
| Jonathon George
| {{dts|format=dmy|2021|12|20}}
| J. Trudeau
| [[Ontario Superior Court of Justice|Superior Court of Justice]] (2016 to 2021) <br> Ontario Court of Justice (2012 to 2016) <br>
|-
| Justice
| Lise Favreau
|{{dts|format=dmy|2021|12|20}}
| J. Trudeau
| [[Ontario Superior Court of Justice|Superior Court of Justice]] (2017 to 2021)
|-
|Justice 
|Sally Gomery
|{{dts|format=dmy|2023|11|6}}
|J. Trudeau
|[[Ontario Superior Court of Justice|Superior Court of Justice]] (2017 to 2023)
|-
| Justice
|C. William Hourigan<ref name="auto1">{{cite press release| title=Ontario Judicial Appointments Announced| url=http://www.justice.gc.ca/eng/news-nouv/ja-nj/2013/doc_32966.html| access-date=12 March 2025| date=2 October 2013| publisher=Department of Justice}}</ref> 
|{{dts|format=dmy|2013|10|02}}
|Harper
|[[Ontario Superior Court of Justice|Superior Court of Justice]] (2009 to 2013)<br> Fasken Martineau LLP (1992 to 2009)
|-
| Justice
|[[Grant Huscroft]]<ref>{{cite press release| title=Ontario Judicial Appointments Announced|url=http://www.justice.gc.ca/eng/news-nouv/ja-nj/2014/doc_33091.html |access-date=12 March 2025| date=16 December 2014| publisher=Department of Justice}}</ref>
|{{dts|format=dmy|2014|12|16}}
|Harper
|Professor, [[Western Law School]] (2002 to 2014)<Br> University of Auckland (1992 to 2001)
|-
| Justice 
| Lene Madsen
| {{dts|format=dmy|2024|5|1}}
| J. Trudeau
|[[Ontario Superior Court of Justice|Superior Court of Justice]] (2016 to 2024) <br>
|-
| Justice
|[[Bradley W. Miller]]<ref>{{cite press release| url=https://www.canada.ca/en/news/archive/2015/06/ontario-judicial-appointments-announced.html| title=Ontario Judicial Appointments Announced| publisher=Department of Justice| date=26 June 2015| access-date=12 March 2025}}</ref>
|{{dts|format=dmy|2015|6|26}}
|Harper
|[[Ontario Superior Court of Justice|Superior Court of Justice]] <br>
|-
| Justice
|Patrick Monahan
|{{dts|format=dmy|2023|05|15}}
|J. Trudeau
|[[Ontario Superior Court of Justice|Superior Court of Justice]] (2017 to 2023)
|-
|Justice
|[[David Paciocco|David M. Paciocco]]<ref>{{cite press release| url=https://www.canada.ca/en/department-justice/news/2017/04/government_of_canadaannouncesjudicialappointmentsintheprovinceof.html| title=Government of Canada announces judicial appointments in the province of Ontario| publisher=Department of Justice| date=2017-04-07| df=dmy-all}}</ref>
|{{dts|format=dmy|2017|4|7}}
|J. Trudeau
|[[Ontario Court of Justice]]<br>Professor at University of Ottawa and Counsel at Edelson Clifford D'Angelo
|-
|Justice
|Renee Pomerance
|{{dts|format=dmy|2024|7|24}}
|J. Trudeau
|[[Ontario Superior Court of Justice|Superior Court of Justice]] (2006 to 2024)
|-
|Justice
|Mohammed Rahman
|{{dts|format=dmy|2025|3|7}}
|J. Trudeau
|[[Ontario Superior Court of Justice|Superior Court of Justice]] (2022 to 2025) <br> [[Ontario Court of Justice]] (2016 to 2022)
|-
| Justice
|Lois Roberts<ref>{{cite press release| title=Ontario Judicial Appointments Announced| url=https://www.canada.ca/en/news/archive/2015/05/ontario-judicial-appointments-announced.html|date=5 May 2015| publisher=Department of Justice}}</ref>
|{{dts|format=dmy|2015|5|05}}
|Harper
|[[Ontario Superior Court of Justice|Superior Court of Justice]] (2008 to 2015)<br> Genest Murray LLP (1988 to 2008)<br> Cassels Brock (1987 to 1988)
|-
|Justice
|[[Lorne Sossin]]
|{{dts|format=dmy|2020|11|26}}
|J. Trudeau
|[[Ontario Superior Court of Justice|Superior Court of Justice]] (2018 to 2020)<br> Dean, Osgoode Hall Law School (2010 to 2018)
|-
|Justice
|Julie Thorburn
|{{dts|format=dmy|2019|9|01}}
|J. Trudeau
|[[Ontario Superior Court of Justice|Superior Court of Justice]] (2006 to 2019)
|-
|Justice
|Gary T. Trotter<ref>{{cite press release| url=https://www.canada.ca/en/department-justice/news/2016/10/government-canada-announces-judicial-appointments-province-ontario.html| access-date=5 March 2018| title=Government of Canada announces judicial appointments in the province of Ontario| date=2016-10-20| publisher=Department of Justice| df=dmy}}</ref><ref>{{cite press release|url=http://www.justice.gc.ca:80/eng/news-nouv/ja-nj/2008/doc_32217.html| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120109031346/http://www.justice.gc.ca:80/eng/news-nouv/ja-nj/2008/doc_32217.html| url-status=dead| archive-date=9 January 2012| title=Ontario Judicial Appointments Announced| publisher=Department of Justice| date=9 January 2012}}</ref>
|{{dts|format=dmy|2016|10|20}}
|J. Trudeau
||[[Ontario Superior Court of Justice|Superior Court of Justice]] (2008 to 2016)<Br>Ontario Court of Justice (2005 to 2008)<Br> Professor at Queen's University (2003 to 2016)<Br> Ontario Crown Counsel (1988 to 2000)
|-
| Justice
| Darla Wilson
| {{dts|format=dmy|2024|5|1}}
| J. Trudeau
| [[Ontario Superior Court of Justice|Superior Court of Justice]] (2007 to 2024)
|-
| Justice
|Benjamin Zarnett 
|{{dts|format=dmy|2018|11|9}}
|J. Trudeau
|Goodmans LLP
|}

'''Supernumerary Justices'''<br>
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|- "
! Position
! Name
! Appointed
! Nominated by
! class="unsortable"|Position(s) Prior to Appointment*
|-
| Supernumerary Justice
|David M Brown<ref>{{cite press release| title=Ontario Judicial Appointments Announced| url=http://justice.gc.ca/eng/news-nouv/ja-nj/2014/doc_33091.html| date=2014-12-16| publisher=Department of Justice| df=dmy}}</ref>
|{{dts|format=dmy|2014|12|16}}
|Harper
|[[Ontario Superior Court of Justice|Superior Court of Justice]] (2006 to 2014)
|-
| Supernumerary Justice
|[[Eileen E. Gillese]]
|{{dts|format=dmy|2002|1|5}}
|Chrétien
|[[Ontario Superior Court of Justice|Superior Court of Justice]] (1999 to 2002)
|-
| Supernumerary Justice
|[[Alison Harvison Young]]
|{{dts|format=dmy|2018|8|31}}
|J. Trudeau
|[[Ontario Superior Court of Justice|Superior Court of Justice]] (2004 to 2018)
|-
| Supernumerary Justice
| [[James C. MacPherson]]
|{{dts|format=dmy|1999|5|25}}
|Chrétien
|[[Ontario Superior Court of Justice|Superior Court of Justice]]
|-
| Supernumerary Justice
| Peter Lauwers<ref>{{cite press release| url=http://www.justice.gc.ca/eng/news-nouv/ja-nj/2012/doc_32821.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130513215846/http://www.justice.gc.ca/eng/news-nouv/ja-nj/2012/doc_32821.html| url-status=dead| archive-date=13 May 2013| title=Ontario Judicial Appointment Announced| publisher=Department of Justice| date=13 May 2013}}</ref>
|{{dts|format=dmy|2012|12|14}}
|Harper
|[[Ontario Superior Court of Justice|Superior Court of Justice]] (2008 to 2012)<br> Miller Thompson LLP
|-
| Supernumerary Justice
| Ian Nordheimer<ref>{{cite press release| url=https://www.newswire.ca/news-releases/government-of-canada-announces-judicial-appointment-in-the-province-of-ontario-644726723.html|title=Government of Canada announces judicial appointment in the province of Ontario| publisher=Department of Justice| date=15 September 2017| access-date=12 March 2025| via=[[CNW Group|Canada Newswire]]}}</ref>
|{{dts|format=dmy|2017|9|15}}
| J. Trudeau
|[[Ontario Superior Court of Justice|Superior Court of Justice]] (1999 to 2017)<br>
Counsel with Fraser & Beatty / Dentons LLP
|-
|Supernumerary Justice
|[[Sarah Pepall]]
|{{dts|format=dmy|2012|4|10}}
|Harper
|[[Ontario Superior Court of Justice|Superior Court of Justice]]
|-
| Supernumerary Justice
|[[Paul Rouleau]]<ref>{{cite press release| url=http://www.justice.gc.ca:80/eng/news-nouv/ja-nj/2005/doc_31444.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100328165050/http://www.justice.gc.ca:80/eng/news-nouv/ja-nj/2005/doc_31444.html| url-status=dead| archive-date=28 March 2010| title=Ontario Judicial Appointment Announced| date=28 March 2010| publisher=Department of Justice}}</ref>
|{{dts|format=dmy|2005|4|15}}
|Martin
|[[Ontario Superior Court of Justice|Superior Court of Justice]] (2002 to 2005)<br> Heenan Blaikie
|-
| Supernumerary Justice
|[[Janet M. Simmons]]
|{{dts|format=dmy|2000|8|23}}
|Chrétien
|[[Ontario Superior Court of Justice|Superior Court of Justice]]
|-
| Supernumerary Justice
|Katherine van Rensburg<ref name="auto1"/> 
|{{dts|format=dmy|2013|10|02}}
|Harper
|[[Ontario Superior Court of Justice|Superior Court of Justice]] (2006 to 2013)<Br>Gowling Lafleur Henderson LLP
|-
|}

==Chief Justices of Ontario==
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Number !! Name !! Years
|-
| 1||[[William Buell Richards|Sir William Buell Richards]]{{efn|group=note|name=Queen's Bench|Of the Court of Queen's Bench}}||1868–1875
|-
| 2||[[Robert Alexander Harrison]]{{efn|group=note|name=Queen's Bench|Of the Court of Queen's Bench}}||1875–1878 
|-
| 3||[[Thomas Moss (jurist)|Thomas Moss]] ||1878–1881
|-
| 4||[[John Godfrey Spragge]] ||1881–1884
|-
| 5||[[John Hawkins Hagarty|Sir John Hawkins Hagarty]] ||1884–1897 
|-
| 6||[[George William Burton|Sir George William Burton]] ||1897–1900 
|-
| 7||[[John Douglas Armour]] ||1900–1902
|-
| 8||[[Charles Moss (judge)|Sir Charles Moss]] ||1902–1912
|-
| 9||[[William Ralph Meredith|Sir William Ralph Meredith]] ||1912–1923
|-
| 10||[[William Mulock|Sir William Mulock]]||1923–1936
|-
| 11||[[Newton Rowell]] ||1936–1938
|-
| 12||[[Robert Spelman Robertson]] ||1938–1952 
|-
| 13||[[John Wellington Pickup]] ||1952–1957 
|-
| 14||[[Dana Porter]] ||1958–1967 
|-
| 15||[[George Alexander Gale]] ||1967–1976 
|-
| 16||[[Willard Estey]] ||1976–1977 
|-
| 17||[[William Goldwin Carrington Howland]] ||1977–1990 
|-
| 18||[[Charles Dubin]] ||1990–1996
|-
| 19||[[Roy McMurtry]]  ||1996–2007
|-
| 20||[[Warren Winkler]]<ref>{{cite press release| title=Appointment of Chief Justice of Ontario announced| url=http://www.pm.gc.ca/eng/media.asp?category=1&id=1676|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100318123827/http://www.pm.gc.ca/eng/media.asp?category=1&id=1676| url-status=dead| publisher=Prime Minister of Canada| date=1 June 2007| archive-date=2010-03-18}}</ref> ||2007–2013 
|-
| 21||[[George Strathy]]||2014–2022
|-
| 22||[[Michael Tulloch]]||2022–present
|}

==Past judges==

{| class="wikitable sortable"
|- "
! Name
! Time in office
! Nominated by
|-
|[[Marc Rosenberg (judge)|Marc Rosenberg]]<ref name="Dec1995">{{cite press release| url=http://www.justice.gc.ca:80/en/news/ja/1995/ONT15.html| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20031111224659/http://www.justice.gc.ca:80/en/news/ja/1995/ONT15.html| url-status=dead| archive-date=2003-11-11| title=Ontario Judicial Appointments Announced| date=13 December 1995| publisher=Department of Justice| access-date=12 March 2025}}</ref>||1995–2015 ||Jean Chretien 
|-
| [[Stephen Goudge]]||1996–2014|| Jean Chretien
|-
|Edward W. Ducharme<ref>{{cite press release| url=http://www.justice.gc.ca/eng/news-nouv/ja-nj/2012/doc_32721.html| title=Ontario Judicial Appointments Announced| date=10 April 2012| publisher=Department of Justice| access-date=12 March 2025}}</ref><ref>{{cite news| title=Prostate cancer claims Ontario Court of Appeal judge| url=https://windsorstar.com/news/honourable-justice-edward-ducharme-passes-away| date=3 June 2013| newspaper=[[Windsor Star]]}}</ref>|| 2012 - 2013 || Stephen Harper 
|-
| [[Warren Winkler]], Chief Justice ||2007–2013|| 
|-
| [[Dennis O'Connor (judge)|Dennis O'Connor]] ||1998–2012|| Jean Chretien
|-
| [[Michael Moldaver]]<ref name="Dec1995" /> ||1995–2011|| Jean Chretien 
|-
| [[Andromache Karakatsanis]] ||2010–2011|| 
|-
| Marvin A. Catzman ||1988–2007|| 
|-
|[[Roy McMurtry]]|| 1996–2007 as Chief Justice|| 
|-
| [[Louise Charron]]<ref name="Dec1995" /> ||1995–2004|| Jean Chretien
|-
|[[Robert P. Armstrong]]
|2002–2013
|
|-
| [[Rosalie Abella]]||1992–2004||
|-
| [[Louise Arbour]]||1990–1999||
|-
| [[Charles Dubin]]|| 1973–1996 (1992–1996 as Chief Justice)||
|-
| [[William Goldwin Carrington Howland]] as Chief Justice ||1977–1992||
|-
| [[Walter Tarnopolsky]]||1985–1993||
|-
| [[Peter Cory]]||1981–1989||
|-
| Bert MacKinnon || 1974–1987 as Associate Chief Justice||
|-
| [[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 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 (jurist)|Thomas Moss]] as Chief Justice ||1878–1880||
|-
| [[Robert Alexander Harrison]] as Chief Justice ||1875–1878||
|}

{{anchor|Chief Justices of Upper Canada}}

==Chief Justices of Upper Canada (1792–1841)/Province of Canada (1841–1867)==
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Number !! Name !! Years
|-
| 1 || [[William Osgoode]]|| 1792–1794
|-
| 2 || [[John Elmsley]]|| 1796–1802
|-
| 3 || [[Henry Allcock]]|| 1802–1806
|-
| 4 || [[Thomas Scott (Canadian judge)|Thomas Scott]]|| 1806–1816
|-
| 5 || [[William Dummer Powell]]|| 1816–1825
|-
| 6 || [[William Campbell (jurist)|Sir William Campbell]]|| 1825–1829
|-
| 7 || [[John Beverley Robinson, 1st Baronet|Sir John Beverley Robinson]]|| 1829–1862
|-
| 8 || [[William Henry Draper (judge)|William Henry Draper]]|| 1863–1867
|}

==See also==
* [[Courts of Ontario]]
* [[Supreme Court of Canada]]

==Notes==
{{Notelist|group=note}}

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
* [https://www.ontariocourts.ca/coa/ Court of Appeal for Ontario]
* [https://www.ontariocourts.ca/ Ontario Courts website]
* [https://www.ctvnews.ca/toronto/article/plan-to-webcast-ontario-appeal-cases-delayed/ Plan to webcast Ontario appeal cases delayed]

{{Ontario politics}}
{{Courts of Canada}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Court of Appeal for Ontario| ]]
[[Category:Canadian appellate courts|Ontario]]
[[Category:Ontario courts|Appeal]]
[[Category:Lists of Canadian judges]]
[[Category:1867 establishments in Ontario]]
[[Category:Courts and tribunals established in 1867]]