Supreme Court of Canada

Supreme Court of Canada
Cour suprême du Canada
The badge of the Supreme Court[1]
The flag of the Supreme Court (left)
and the Cormier Emblem (right)[1]
Map
45°25′19″N 75°42′20″W / 45.42194°N 75.70556°W / 45.42194; -75.70556
Established8 April 1875 (8 April 1875)
JurisdictionCanada
LocationOttawa, Ontario
Coordinates45°25′19″N 75°42′20″W / 45.42194°N 75.70556°W / 45.42194; -75.70556
Composition methodJudicial appointments in Canada
Authorized byConstitution Act, 1867 and Supreme Court Act, 1875
Judge term lengthMandatory retirement at age 75
Number of positions9
Websitewww.scc-csc.ca
Chief Justice of Canada
CurrentlyRichard Wagner
Since18 December 2017
Lead position ends2 April 2032

The Supreme Court of Canada (SCC; French: Cour suprême du Canada, CSC) is the highest court in the judicial system of Canada.[2] It comprises nine justices, whose decisions are the ultimate application of Canadian law, and grants permission to between 40 and 75 litigants each year to appeal decisions rendered by provincial, territorial and federal appellate courts. The Supreme Court is bijural, hearing cases from two major legal traditions (common law and civil law) and bilingual, hearing cases in both official languages of Canada (English and French).

The effects of any judicial decision on the common law, on the interpretation of statutes, or on any other application of law, can, in effect, be nullified by legislation, unless the particular decision of the court in question involves application of the Canadian Constitution, in which case, the decision (in most cases) is completely binding on the legislative branch. This is especially true of decisions which touch upon the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, which cannot be altered by the legislative branch unless the decision is overridden pursuant to section 33 (the "notwithstanding clause").

  1. ^ a b "Description of Heraldic Emblems". Supreme Court of Canada. 15 March 2021. Archived from the original on 9 July 2021. Retrieved 9 July 2021.
  2. ^ "Role of the Court". Supreme Court of Canada. 23 May 2014. Archived from the original on 5 August 2014. Retrieved 27 May 2014.

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