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Other Courts

Drug Treatment Courts

Non-violent offenses motivated by addiction are handled by this court. The remedies involve judicial supervision and treatment.

Youth Courts

These courts can be either provincial or superior. They include protection appropriate to the age of the offender with particular attention to privacy concerns.

Domestic Violence Courts

So far, only Ontario, Manitoba, Alberta and the Yukon have established domestic violence courts. The goal of these courts is to improve the response of the judicial system to domestic violence. They aim to:
• Decrease court processing time
• Increase conviction rate
• Be a focal point for programs and services for victims and offenders
• Allow for specialization of police, crown prosecutors and judiciary working in this field.

Nunavut Court of Justice

The Nunavut Court of Justice was established in 1999. It has the power of a superior or territorial court. The court travels on a circuit; most frequently they must fly to the location. They visit each location every six weeks to two years depending on demand. They also hold a session in Iqaluit.

The Circuit Court includes the following:

• Judge
• Clerk
• Court reporter
• Prosecutor
• At least one defense attorney
• Court workers
• Crown witness coordinators
• Interpreters are hired locally or travel with the court

Unified Family Courts

Several provinces now have unified family courts. These courts deal with all aspects of family law and allow the matters to be dealt with in a single court with specialized judges and services. The court has a superior court judge who hears both provincial/territorial and federal matters.

One focus of this court is to encourage non-adversarial ways of resolving family conflicts and to provide support services. Depending on the province, the services can include parent education, mediation and counselling.

Sentencing Circles

The first sentencing circles were in the Yukon in the early 1990’s. They are mostly used at the provincial/territorial court level and in cases involving Aboriginal offenders and victims. Community advice is considered.
Once an offender has admitted guilt, the court invites interested members of the community to join the judge, police and community elders and the victim to meet to discuss the offence. Everyone has a chance to speak. Restorative justice is often the result of such discussions. Community members may also offer to help the offender live up to their community sentence commitments.
Although, sentencing circles do sometimes recommend a period of custody, the judge is not bound to accept the circle’s recommendations.

Federal Courts | Military Courts | The Supreme Court of Canada | Provincial Courts