Ontario Superior Court of Justice
Regions and Regional Senior Judge (RSJ)
The Ontario Superior Court of Justice sits in 52 locations in Ontario. As of December 31, 2023, it had 341 federally appointed judges and 15 provincially appointed associate judges.
There are eight administrative regions of the Ontario Superior Court of Justice:
- Central East
- Central South
- Central West
- East
- Northeast
- Northwest
- Southwest
- Toronto
Each region is headed by a Regional Senior Judge. Section 14(2) of the Courts of Justice Act provides them with their authority in this role, including managing judicial sittings.
The Chief Justice leads the Ontario Superior Court of Justice. They oversee the governance of the Court and its administration. Their responsibilities are found in Ontario's Courts of Justice Act. For example, they determining the sittings.
In total, 11 judges comprise the Council of Regional Senior Judges and advise the Chief Justice on policy affecting the Court's administration. These judges include:
- Associate Chief Justice
- Eight Regional Senior Judges
- Senior Judge of the Family Court
Jurisdiction
The Ontario Superior Court of Justice is a court of inherent jurisdiction. This means that was not created because of legislation. Its history is rooted in the first courts in England.
The Ontario Superior Court of Justice has jurisdiction in the five areas:
- Family
- Divisional Court
- Criminal
- Civil
- Small Claims
Family
The Family Court branch presides over all family matters. This includes divorce, equalization (or division of property), child support, spousal support, parenting time of children, decision-making of children. Not all Courts have a Family Court branch. In this case, the Court often shares jurisdiction on family matters with the Ontario Court of Justice (OCJ). The OCJ has jurisdiction over certain issues.
Divisional Court
This is an appellate branch of the Court. It serves to judicially review government action in Ontario. The Divisional Court does hear some family law appeals in certain circumstances.
If you have questions regarding the procedure of the Courts in family law, contact our lawyers at 905.707.3370.
