LAW Canadian Cases and Decisions
This guide is intended to help researchers locate cases and decisions and provide links to sources for Canadian Federal as well as Alberta and the other provinces and territories case law.
Federal Court websites
Both federal and provincial courts may make judicial decisions available through their own websites.
- Supreme Court of Canada (SCC)Established in 1875, since 1949, the Supreme Court of Canada is the final court of appeal for civil and criminal matters decided in Canadian courts.The Court’s decisions are published in English and French in its official reports, the Canada Supreme Court Reports. All written and oral judgments and reasons for judgment are printed in their entirety along with a summary (called a headnote) of the reasons. Originally numbered in series from 1 to 64, the Reports have been identified since 1923 by their year of publication. Judgments are made available in electronic form the day of their release through links.
- SCC JudgmentsThe Lexum collection contains the Supreme Court of Canada judgments since 1907 and judgments in leave applications since 2006. The collection is updated within minutes of the public release of the judgments by the Court.
- SupremeAdvocacyLetterWeekly newsletter provides Supreme Court of Canada decisions every Thursday.Eugene Meehan
- Federal Courts ReportsDecisions selected for publication in the Federal Courts Reports are now available online prior to their final reproduction in print format, thus ensuring a more timely dissemination of those decisions.
Multi-jurisdictional Sources
- CanLII This link opens in a new windowCanLII, is a non-profit organization managed by the Federation of Law Societies of Canada to provide Open Access, freely accessible primary legal material, including court judgments, tribunal decisions, statutes and regulations from all Canadian jurisdictions.
- Westlaw Canada This link opens in a new window
- Access to subscribed content only
Platform for database products published by Thomas Reuters Canada. Includes primary sources, commentary, court documents, forms and precedents, and finding tools. Full text source for Canadian law resources. Includes the Canadian Abridgement Digests and Canadian Encyclopedic Digest; cases (reported and unreported), commentary, legislations, journal articles covering the areas of general law, family law and criminal law. - Westlaw Edge (UofC Law School only) This link opens in a new windowFaculty of Law students and faculty may obtain an individual password.Westlaw Edge is a full text and indexing database that provides access to a variety of law and finding tools. It includes Canadian statutes and regulations, reported decisions from Canadian courts and tribunals, Canadian law journals and law reviews. Westlaw includes nearly 15,000 databases covering most US primary and secondary legal materials and legal research tools. It also includes over 700 full text law reviews and has legal material from the UK, Australia and the EU.
- Lexis Advance Quicklaw This link opens in a new windowLexis Advances Quicklaw provides access to an extensive database of over 2 million cases, jurisdictional sources, including exclusive sources like Halsbury's Laws of Canada and Canadian Tort Law. This database includes QuickCite, which ensures decisions are based on good authority by cases. Lexis Advance QuickLaw provides access to Canadian law (legislation, jurisprudence, and doctrine) as well as law sources from the United States, United Kingdom, France, Australia, New Zealand, and Hong Kong.
- Lexis+ Canada This link opens in a new window
- Available to Faculty of Law students only
- Password access only
Content includes Canadian, US, UK, international and foreign legal materials, and Practical Guidance.
Administrative Bodies
Officials, Agencies, Boards, Commissions and Tribunals often make their decisions available through their own websites. The Canadian Legal Information Institute (CanLII) also makes decisions from some boards freely accessible.
- CanLII This link opens in a new windowCanLII, is a non-profit organization managed by the Federation of Law Societies of Canada to provide Open Access, freely accessible primary legal material, including court judgments, tribunal decisions, statutes and regulations from all Canadian jurisdictions.
- Canada Industrial Relations BoardThe CIRB is an independent, representational, quasi-judicial tribunal responsible for the interpretation and administration of Part I (Industrial Relations), and certain provisions of Part II (Occupational Health and Safety) of the Canada Labour Code.
- Canadian Human Rights TribunalDecisions rendered by the Canadian Human Rights Tribunal in the form of Decisions or Rulings since 1979.
- Canadian Intellectual Property OfficeDecisions of the Commissioner of Patents
- Canadian International Trade TribunalDecisions since 1989 on appeals from decisions of the Canada Border Services Agency made under the Customs Act and the Special Import Measures Act and of the Minister of National Revenue under the Excise Tax Act.
- Canadian Internet Registration Authority (CIRA)Text of the decisions made by panelists on complaints initiated under the CIRA.
- Canadian Judicial CouncilThe Canadian Judicial Council is a federal body created under the Judges Act with the mandate to promote efficiency, uniformity, and accountability, and to improve the quality of judicial service in the superior courts of Canada. The Council is also mandated to review any complaint or allegation against a superior court judge.
- Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC)Decisions, Notices and Orders
- Canadian Transportation AgencyRulings Lists and Search Decisions
- Commission for Public Complaints Against the RCMPCompleted Reports
- Competion BureauLegal Actions and OpinionsThe Competition Bureau is responsible for the administration and enforcement of the Competition Act, the Consumer Packaging and Labelling Act, the Textile Labelling Act and the Precious Metals Marking Act.
- Competition TribunalFull text of selected final decisions issued since November 29, 1990.
- Employment Insurance Jurisprudence LibraryAccess all insurance jurisprudence (i.e. CUBs (Canadian Umpire Benefits), Federal Court and Supreme Court decisions).
- Environmental Protection Tribunal of Canada Decisions(formerly Environmental Protection Review Canada)
- Federal Public Sector Labour Relations and Employment BoardDecisionsThe Public Service Staffing Tribunal (the “Tribunal”) is an independent, quasi-judicial body established under the Public Service Employment Act (PSEA) to address complaints related to internal appointments and lay-offs in the federal public service. Formerly known as the Public Service Labour Relations Board and the Public Service Staffing Tribunal before their merger in 2014.
- Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada (IRB)A selection of decisions rendered by the IRB are available on the Canadian Legal Information Institute's (CanLII) website.Canada's largest independent administrative tribunal. Every year, the Board renders more than 40,000 decisions on refugee protection and immigration matters.
- Impact Assessment Agency of Canadaformerly the Canadian Environmental Assessment Agency
- Investment Industry Regulatory Organization of Canada(IIROC)Documents related to cases dating back to March, 2003.The national self-regulatory organization which oversees all investment dealers and trading activity on debt and equity marketplaces in Canada.
- Military Grievances External Review CommitteeAccess to the Case Summaries of the Committee’s Findings and Recommendations (F&R) submitted to the Chief of the Defence Staff (CDS) for decisions and Summaries of the CDS decisions.
- Mutual Fund Dealers Association of Canada (MFDA)Enforcement Hearings - Completed CasesThe national self-regulatory organization (SRO) for the distribution side of the Canadian mutual fund industry.
- Canada Energy Regulator - Regulatory Documents(formerly National Energy Board/NEB)
- Office of the Information Commissioner of CanadaNotable investigation summaries since 2010
- Office of the Privacy Commissioner of CanadaCommissioner's FindingsInformation on the Privacy Commissioner's findings on complaints made under both federal privacy laws - the Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act and the Privacy Act.
- Patented Medicine Prices Review BoardDecisions and Orders
- Federal Public Sector Labour Relations and Employment BoardFull texts of decisions issued by the Federal Public Sector Labour Relations and Employment Board, formerly the Public Service Labour Relations Board (PSLRB) and the former Public Service Staff Relations Board (PSSRB) since 2000. Summaries of PSLRB and PSSRB decisions since 1996.The FPSLREB is an independent quasi-judicial statutory tribunal that is responsible for administering the collective bargaining and grievance adjudication systems in the federal public service and in Parliament.
- Regulatory Document IndexFrom the National Energy Board
- Reporting Centre on Specific ClaimsThe Indian Specific Claims Commission (ISCC) - also known as the Indian Claims Commission - was created in 1991 under the federal Inquiries Act.
- Last Updated: Sep 21, 2023 8:29 AM
- URL: https://libguides.ucalgary.ca/guides/Canadiancases
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