Helpful Links Page 1 of 4

Home > Helpful Links

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

l Canada’s System of Justice

l Legal Jurisdictions
l Canada’s Court System
l Laws of Canada
l Justice Information and Education
l 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

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

http://canada.justice.gc.ca/eng/jl/index.html 2/15/2011
Helpful Links Page 2 of 4

l 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

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

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

l Definition (The Canadian Encyclopedia)

l Council of Canadian Administrative Tribunals
¡ Administrative Tribunals in Canada by jurisdiction

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.

http://canada.justice.gc.ca/eng/jl/index.html 2/15/2011
Helpful Links Page 3 of 4

Canada Gazette– the “official newspaper” of the Government of Canada since 1841,
itpublishes 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 toprovide 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.

l Funding Support (Department of Justice)

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

http://canada.justice.gc.ca/eng/jl/index.html 2/15/2011
Helpful Links Page 4 of 4

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:

l Royal Canadian Mounted Police

l Canada Border Services Agency

Provincial Police

l Ontario Provincial Police

l Royal Newfoundland Constabulary
l Sûreté du Québec
l Royal Canadian Mounted Police detachments (all other provinces)

Municipal Police

l Canadian Association of Chiefs of Police

l Canadian Police Association

Date Modified: 2010-09-14

http://canada.justice.gc.ca/eng/jl/index.html 2/15/2011