The Superior Court of Quebec (french: Cour supérieure du Québec) is a
superior trial court
A trial court or court of first instance is a court having original jurisdiction, in which trials take place. Appeals from the decisions of trial courts are usually made by higher courts with the power of appellate review (appellate courts). Mo ...
in the
Province of Quebec
Quebec ( ; )According to the Canadian government, ''Québec'' (with the acute accent) is the official name in Canadian French and ''Quebec'' (without the accent) is the province's official name in Canadian English is one of the thirteen ...
, in
Canada. It consists of 157 judges who are appointed by the federal government. Appeals from this court are taken to the
Quebec Court of Appeal
The Court of Appeal of Quebec (sometimes referred to as Quebec Court of Appeal or QCA) (in French: ''la Cour d'appel du Québec'') is the highest judicial court in Quebec, Canada. It hears cases in Quebec City and Montreal.
History
The Court w ...
.
Jurisdiction
The Superior Court of Quebec is the court of original general jurisdiction, which hears all cases not expressly assigned to another court or administrative body. It possesses both criminal and civil jurisdiction. It also hears certain appeals in criminal and penal matters. Moreover, it also possesses exclusive jurisdiction to hear and determine class actions and applications for injunctive relief.
Furthermore, the Superior Court is vested exclusive jurisdiction of judicial review over all lower courts in Quebec, over legal persons established in the public interest or for a private interest, and over partnerships and associations and other groups not endowed with juridical personality.
All criminal matters that are tried by jury must be tried by the Superior Court.
Judges
The Superior Court is composed of 157 justices, including a Chief Justice, a Senior Associate Chief Justice, and an Associate Chief Justice. It can also have a maximum of 111 supernumerary judges.
Chief Justices
Chief Justices (term):
artial listing*
Edward Bowen (1849–1866)
* Sir
William Collis Meredith
Sir William Collis Meredith, (23 May 1812 – 26 February 1894) was Chief Justice of the Superior Court for the Province of Quebec from 1866 to 1884. In 1844, he was offered but refused the positions of Solicitor General of Canada and then Att ...
(1866–1884)
* Sir
Andrew Stuart (1885–1889)
* Sir
Francis Godschall Johnson (1889–1894)
* Sir
Louis-Napoléon Casault (1894–1904)
* Sir
Adolphe-Basile Routhier
Sir Adolphe-Basile Routhier (May 8, 1839 – June 27, 1920) was a Canadian judge, author, and lyricist. He wrote the lyrics of the original French version of the Canadian national anthem " O Canada". He was born in Saint-Placide, Quebec, to ...
(1904–1906)
* Sir
Melbourne McTaggart Tait
* Sir
Charles Peers Davidson (1912–1915)
* Sir
François-Xavier Lemieux (1915–?)
*
R.A.E. Greenshields (1929–1942)
*
Albert Sévigny
Albert Sévigny, (December 31, 1881 – May 14, 1961) was a Canadian politician.
Life and career
Sévigny was born in Tingwick, Quebec. He opened a law practice in Quebec City in 1905. Two years later, he was a candidate for the Quebec Cons ...
(1942–1959)
*
Frédéric Dorion
Frédéric Dorion (August 23, 1898 – July 15, 1981) was a Quebec politician and chief justice. He led a group of Independent MPs in the House of Commons of Canada who were opposed to the implementation of conscription during World War II.
...
(1963–1973)
*
Jules Deschênes
Jules Deschênes, (June 7, 1923 – May 10, 2000) was a Canadian Quebec Superior Court judge.
Born in Montreal, to Wilfrid Deschênes and Berthe Bérard, he completed grade school under the supervision of les Clercs de Saint-Viateur and class ...
(1973–1983)
*
Alan B. Gold (1983–1992)
*
Lawrence A. Poitras (1992–1996)
*
Lyse Lemieux (1996–2004)
*
François Rolland
François () is a French masculine given name and surname, equivalent to the English name Francis.
People with the given name
* Francis I of France, King of France (), known as "the Father and Restorer of Letters"
* Francis II of France, King ...
(2004–2015)
*
Jacques R. Fournier (2015-2022)
*
Marie-Anne Paquette
Marie Anne or Marie-Anne is the name of:
Aristocrats
*Princess Marie Anne of France (1664-1664?), daughter of King Louis XIV of France
*Infanta Marie Anne of Portugal (1861-1942), Portuguese infanta and Grand Duchess consort of Luxembourg
* Marie ...
(since 2022)
Sources and notes
Superior Court of QuebecList of Superior Court Justices
{{Courts of Canada
Quebec courts
Quebec
Quebec ( ; )According to the Canadian government, ''Québec'' (with the acute accent) is the official name in Canadian French and ''Quebec'' (without the accent) is the province's official name in Canadian English is one of the thirteen ...
1849 establishments in Canada
Courts and tribunals established in 1849