Canadian court system
Canada's Court System is comprised of several courts with varying jurisdictions. The highest court is the Supreme Court of Canada. The Court Martial Appeal Court, the Courts of Appeal of each province and the Federal Court of Appeal sit immediately below the Supreme Court of Canada and cases in these courts can be appealed to the Supreme Court.
The Court Martial Appeal Court hears appeals deriving from Military Courts. The provincial Courts of Appeal receive appeals registered under the provincial and territorial Superior Courts; they in turn receive their referrals from provincial courts, as well as provincial administrative tribunals. The Federal Court of Appeal receives appeals from either the Federal Court or the Tax Court of Canada. Finally, the Federal Court receives referrals from federal administrative tribunals.
The provincial courts have inherent or general jurisdiction for contract and tort matters as well as violations of Canada's Criminal Code and provincial laws. The Federal Court does not have inherent jurisdiction and therefore must be specifically granted authority by the federal government. It has been granted authority for matters such as immigration, intellectual property and maritime law.
Justices in provincial court, from superior court and up are appointed by the Canadian federal government. Those below superior court level are appointed by the provincial government in the province which they serve.
Canadian court system (Source: Canadian Department of Justice)
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