Supreme Court of Canada / La Cour suprême du Canada

Created in 1875 by an Act of Parliament, the Supreme Court of Canada is the nation’s highest court, the final general court of appeal, and one of Canada’s most important federal institutions. It hears appeals from the courts of appeal of the provinces and territories, the Federal Court of Appeal, and the Court Martial Appeal Court, and it is also required to give its opinion on questions referred to it by the Governor in Council. Beverley McLachlin, appointed to the Supreme Court in 1989, became the first woman Chief Justice of Canada and the longest-serving in that position from 2000 to 2017; before that, she worked as a law teacher and practitioner and served as a judge in many Canadian courts, becoming renowned for her writings on constitutional law and for clear, compelling decisions. The Supreme Court building was designed in the 1930s by Montreal architect Ernest Cormier in the geometric spirit of art deco, a style dominant between the two world wars that drew on ancient Greek and Roman forms while simplifying and transforming them under the influence of modern movements such as cubism.

Ontario · Canada