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Federal Court (Canada) - Wikipedia

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Canadian federal trial court

The Federal Court (French: Cour fédérale) is a Canadian trial court that hears cases arising under certain areas of federal law. The Federal Court is a superior court with nationwide jurisdiction.

The court was created on July 2, 2003, by amendments to the Federal Court Act, which was renamed the Federal Courts Act. The amendments split the former Federal Court of Canada into two separate courts. The Trial Division of the former court became the Federal Court, while the Appeal Division became the Federal Court of Appeal.[1]

The former Federal Court of Canada was the successor to the Exchequer Court of Canada, which was set up in 1875 by the Liberal government of Prime Minister Alexander Mackenzie. That court was primarily a revenue court, to govern disputes over federal taxation, and also civil claims against the federal government. It was succeeded in 1971 by the Federal Court of Canada, with the two divisions, trial and appellate, and a much-expanded jurisdiction, to cover matters such as immigration, patents and copyrights, and judicial review of federal boards, commissions and agencies. The 2003 amendments split the Federal Court of Canada into the current Federal Court and Federal Court of Appeal.

On October 24, 2008, the Federal Court was given its own armorial bearings by the Governor General, the third court in Canada to be given its own coat of arms – after the Court Martial Appeal Court of Canada and Ontario Superior Court of Justice. The coat of arms features a newly created fantastical creature, the winged sea caribou, as the supporters, representing the provision of justice on air, land and sea.[2]

The Federal Court consists of a chief justice, an associate chief justice, and 35 full-time judges, along with nine supernumerary judges, and eight associate judges. [3]

The salaries of the judges and associate judges are determined annually by the federal Judicial Compensation and Benefits Commission. As of April 1, 2025, the chief justice and associate chief justice receive $455,000 while other judges receive $414,900 annually.[4]

Law clerks are hired for one-year terms to help the judges research and prepare decisions. They are generally assigned to a particular judge.

The Courts Administration Service provides registry services to several federal courts, including the Federal Court.[5] The Federal Court Registry is located in Ottawa, with regional offices throughout the country. The Registry in Ottawa maintains all original court files, with certified copies maintained in regional offices.[6] The Registry provides clerical services and other administrative support to the Court, and provides clerical services and procedural guidance to litigants.[7]

The Federal Court’s authority comes from the Federal Courts Act. The court can only hear cases where a federal statute confers jurisdiction on the court to hear cases of that type. The subject-matter of a grant of jurisdiction must be within federal legislative authority.

Federal Court Proceedings — 2024[8]
  1. Immigration and refugee (76.3%)
  2. Judicial review (10.6%)
  3. Crown proceedings (3.8%)
  4. Intellectual property (3.1%)
  5. Citizenship (2.4%)
  6. Admiralty (1.7%)
  7. Aboriginal (1.6%)
  8. Other appeals and applications (0.5%)

The Federal Court's jurisdiction is civil in nature. Trials and applications are conducted by a single judge,[9] and never with a jury.[10] The court hears cases in the following areas of law:[11]

These instances of jurisdiction may either be exclusive or concurrent with provincial superior courts, depending on the statute. The court has the authority to judicially review the decisions made by federal boards, commissions, and administrative tribunals, and to resolve lawsuits against the federal government.

Because it is a superior court of national jurisdiction, judgments are enforceable across Canada.[12]

Immigration matters[edit]

More than 50% of the court's workload consisted of immigration and refugee cases in 2020, comprising 6,424 immigration-related matters commenced.[13] By the end of 2024, that number had increased to 24,667 immigration-related matters commenced in 2024,[14] which represented an increase of 44% over the year prior and quadruple the number of immigration-related cases prior to the COVID-19 pandemic.[15] In March 2025, the Court published a notice regarding the backlog and delays in document processing times, due primarily to the increase in the number of immigration-related matters.[16] In May 2025, the court published a special order extending certain deadlines for key immigration documents[17] in order to alleviate the burden for the judiciary and court staff.[18]

Most decisions of the Federal Court may be appealed to the Federal Court of Appeal. However, decisions relating to immigration and citizenship may not be appealed unless the Federal Court certifies that the decision raises a "serious question of general importance".[19][20]

In rare cases, the parties to a decision of the Federal Court can jointly seek to appeal directly to the Supreme Court of Canada, bypassing the Federal Court of Appeal in an appeal per saltum. The parties must both consent to the application, and the Supreme Court then decides whether to grant leave to appeal.[21]

Judges and associate judges[edit]

Source: Federal Court: Members of the Court[22]

Chief Justice and Associate Chief Justice[edit] Name Appointed Nominated by Position prior to appointment Elizabeth Heneghan 1999 Chrétien Lawyer, sole practitioner Russel W. Zinn (supernumerary) 2008 Harper Lawyer, Ogilvy Renault LLP Jocelyne Gagné 2012 (Judge) Harper Lawyer, Lavery, de Billy LLP 2018–2024 (Associate Chief Justice) Trudeau Catherine Kane 2012 Harper Senior General Counsel, Department of Justice (Canada) Yvan Roy (supernumerary) 2012 Harper Deputy Secretary to the Cabinet Michael D. Manson (supernumerary) 2012 Harper Lawyer, Smart & Biggar Cecily Strickland 2012 Harper Lawyer, Stewart McKelvey LLP Glennys L. McVeigh 2013 Harper Senior Counsel, Public Prosecution Service of Canada Henry S. Brown (supernumerary) 2014 Harper Lawyer, Gowling Lafleur Henderson LLP Alan Diner 2014 Harper Lawyer, Baker & McKenzie LLP Simon Fothergill 2014 Harper Counsel, Privy Council of Canada Denis Gascon 2015 Harper Lawyer, Norton Rose Fulbright Canada Richard F. Southcott 2015 Harper Vice President and General Counsel, Irving Shipbuilding Inc. Patrick K. Gleeson 2015 Harper Senior Legal Advisor, Judge Advocate General Ann Marie McDonald 2015 Harper Lawyer, McInnes Cooper Roger Lafrenière (supernumerary) 2017 Trudeau Prothonotary, Federal Court William F. Pentney 2017 Trudeau Deputy Minister of Justice and Deputy Attorney General of Canada, Department of Justice (Canada) Shirzad S. Ahmed 2017 Trudeau Lawyer, sole practitioner Sébastien Grammond 2017 Trudeau Professor and Dean of Civil Law, University of Ottawa Paul Favel 2017 Trudeau Lawyer, McKercher LLP John Norris[23] 2018 Trudeau Lawyer, sole practitioner Nicholas McHaffie 2019 Trudeau Lawyer, Stikeman Elliott LLP Janet M. Fuhrer 2019 Trudeau Lawyer, Ridout & Maybee Christine Pallotta 2020 Trudeau Lawyer, Borden, Ladner Gervais LLP Andrew D. Little 2020 Trudeau Lawyer, Bennett Jones Angela Furlanetto 2021 Trudeau Prothonotary, Federal Court Lobat Sadrehashemi 2021 Trudeau Lawyer, Immigration and Refugee Legal Clinic, Vancouver Avvy Yao-Yao Go 2021 Trudeau Clinic Director, Chinese and Southeast Asian Legal Clinic, Ontario Mandy Aylen 2021 Trudeau Prothonotary, Federal Court Vanessa Rochester 2021 Trudeau Lawyer, Norton Rose Fulbright Canada Guy Régimbald 2022 Trudeau Lawyer, Gowling WLG Ekaterina Tsimberis 2023 Trudeau Lawyer, Smart & Biggar Anne M. Turley 2023 Trudeau Department of Justice (Canada) Negar Azmudeh 2023 Trudeau Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada Phuong T.V. Ngo 2023 Trudeau Gowling WLG Allyson Whyte Nowak 2024 Trudeau Norton Rose Fulbright Canada Angus G. Grant 2024 Trudeau Assistant Deputy Chairperson, Refugee Appeal Division of the Immigration and Refugee Board Julie L. Blackhawk 2024 Trudeau Lawyer, Department of Justice Canada Michael Battista 2024 Trudeau Founding counsel, Battista Migration Law Group Benoit M. Duchesne 2024 Trudeau Associate Judge, Federal Court Love Saint-Fleur 2024 Trudeau Coordinating Member, Refugee Appeal Division of the Immigration and Refugee Board Meaghan M. Conroy 2024 Trudeau MLT Aikins LLP Danielle Ferron 2025 Trudeau Langlois Lawyers LLP Andrew J. Brouwer 2025 Trudeau Lawyer, Legal Aid Ontario Refugee Law Office Darren Thorne 2025 Trudeau Member, Refugee Appeal Division of the Immigration and Refugee Board Name Appointed Nominated by Position prior to appointment Martha Milczynski (supernumerary) 2003 Chrétien Chair, Financial Services Commission of Ontario and the Financial Services Tribunal Kathleen M. Ring 2017 Trudeau General Counsel, Department of Justice Canada Alexandra Steele 2018 Trudeau Lawyer, Robic LLP Sylvie M. Molgat 2018 Trudeau Lawyer, Dubuc Osland Catherine A. Coughlan 2021 Trudeau Counsel, Department of Justice Canada L.E. Trent Horne 2021 Trudeau Lawyer, Aird & Berliss LLP Michael Crinson 2023 Trudeau Lawyer, Crinson Law LLP John C. Cotter 2023 Trudeau Lawyer, Osler, Hoskin & Harcourt Catharine Moore 2024 Trudeau Counsel, Department of Justice Canada Kirkland G. Shannon 2025 Trudeau Director General and Deputy Chief Executive Officer, Law Commission of Canada Former judges, prothonotaries, and associate judges[edit]

Source: Federal Court: Members of the Court[22]

Name Term in office Allan Lutfy July 3, 2003 – September 30, 2011[note 1] Name Term in office Paul U.C. Rouleau July 3, 2003 – July 25, 2007[note 2] Yvon Pinard July 3, 2003 – July 1, 2013[note 3] Max M. Teitlebaum July 3, 2003 – January 27, 2007[note 4] W. Andrew MacKay July 3, 2003 – March 20, 2004[note 5] Frederick E. Gibson July 3, 2003 – August 30, 2008[note 6] Sandra J. Simpson July 3, 2003 – June 10, 2020[note 7] Danièle Tremblay-Lamer July 3, 2003 – August 31, 2017[note 8] Douglas Campbell July 3, 2002 – August 27, 2020[note 9] James K. Hugessen July 3, 2003 – July 26, 2008[note 10] Pierre Blais, P.C. July 3, 2003 – February 19, 2008[note 11] François Lemieux July 3, 2003 – October 5, 2012[note 12] John A. O'Keefe July 3, 2003 – November 30, 2015[note 13] Eleanor Dawson July 3, 2003 – December 26, 2009[note 14] Dolores Hansen July 3, 2003 – May 31, 2016[note 15] Edmond P. Blanchard July 3, 2003 – June 27, 2014[note 16] Michael A. Kelen July 3, 2003 – June 12, 2016[note 17] Michel Beaudry July 3, 2003 – June 14, 2012[note 18] Luc Martineau July 3, 2003 – June 14, 2012[note 19] Carolyn Layden-Stevenson July 3, 2003 – December 12, 2008[note 20] Simon Noël July 3, 2003 – August 31, 2022[note 21] Judith A. Snider July 3, 2003 – October 15, 2013[note 22] Johanne Gauthier July 3, 2003 – October 21, 2011[note 23] James Russell July 3, 2003 – August 31, 2020[note 24] James O'Reilly July 3, 2003 – January 9, 2025[note 25] Konrad W. von Finckenstein August 14, 2003 – January 25, 2007 Sean J. Harrington September 16, 2003 – April 24, 2019 Richard Mosley November 4, 2003 – May 9, 2024 Michel M.J. Shore November 4, 2003 – April 30, 2022 Michael L. Phelan November 19, 2003 – June 8, 2022 Anne L. Mactavish November 19, 2003 – June 22, 2019[note 26] Yves de Montigny November 19, 2004 – June 19, 2015[note 27] Roger T. Hughes June 1, 2005 – September 16, 2016 Robert L. Barnes November 22, 2005 – November 22, 2021 Leonard S. Mandamin April 27, 2007 – August 19, 2019 Robert M. Mainville June 16, 2009 – June 18, 2010[note 28] David G. Near June 19, 2009 – February 7, 2013[note 29] Richard Boivin June 19, 2009 – April 10, 2014[note 30] Marie-Josée Bédard April 14, 2010 – June 25, 2015 Donald J. Rennie September 30, 2010 – February 26, 1015[note 31] André F.J. Scott October 1, 2010 – January 30, 2014[note 32] Mary J.L. Gleason December 15, 2011 – June 19, 2015[note 33] Peter B. Annis February 7, 2013 – April 6, 2022 George R. Locke April 10, 2014 – March 7, 2019[note 34] René LeBlanc April 10, 2014 – April 28, 2020[note 35] Keith M. Boswell June 30, 2014 – January 20, 2021 B. Richard Bell February 5, 2015 – October 30, 2023 Robin Camp June 26, 2015 – March 9, 2017 E. Susan Elliott June 19, 2015 – June 1, 2024 Sylvie E. Roussel June 19, 2015 – April 19, 2022[note 36] Elizabeth Walker February 6, 2018 – January 26, 2024[note 37] Peter George Pamel May 2, 2019 – September 20, 2024[note 38] Vanessa Rochester August 4, 2021 – January 26, 2024[note 39] Name Term in office J. Alfred Preston June 1, 1971 – March 13, 1984 Peter A.K. Giles June 27, 1985 – March 28, 2002 Jacques Lefebvre June 28, 1985 – February 2, 1999 John A. Hargreave February 17, 1994 – January 4, 2006 Richard Morneau November 28, 1995 – May 15, 2018 Roza Aronovitch March 10, 1999 – April 2, 2015 Roger Lafrenière April 1, 1999 – June 7, 2017[note 40] Mandy Aylen June 16, 2016 – August 4, 2021[note 41] Angela Furlanetto March 7, 2019 – February 26, 2021[note 42] Name Term in office Mireille Tabib September 23, 2022 – July 31, 2023[note 43] Kevin R. Aalto September 23, 2022 – April 19, 2023[note 44]
  1. ^ Judge of the Federal Court–Trial Division, August 7, 1996; Associate Chief Justice of the Federal Court of Canada from December 8, 1999, until the 2003 reorganisation.
  2. ^ Judge of the Federal Court of Canada–Trial Division from August 5, 1982, until the 2003 reorganisation.
  3. ^ Judge of the Federal Court of Canada–Trial Division from June 19, 1984, until the 2003 reorganisation.
  4. ^ Judge of the Federal Court of Canada–Trial Division from October 29, 1985, until the 2003 reorganisation.
  5. ^ Judge of the Federal Court of Canada–Trial Division from September 2, 1988, until the 2003 reorganisation.
  6. ^ Judge of the Federal Court of Canada–Trial Division from April 1, 1993, until the 2003 reorganisation.
  7. ^ Judge of the Federal Court of Canada–Trial Division from June 10, 1993, until the 2003 reorganisation.
  8. ^ Judge of the Federal Court of Canada–Trial Division from June 16, 1993, until the 2003 reorganisation.
  9. ^ Judge of the Federal Court of Canada–Trial Division from December 8, 1995, until the 2003 reorganisation.
  10. ^ Judge of the Federal Court of Canada–Trial Division from June 23, 1998, until the 2003 reorganisation.
  11. ^ Judge of the Federal Court of Canada–Trial Division from June 23, 1998, until the 2003 reorganisation; appointed to the Federal Court of Appeal, February 19, 2008.
  12. ^ Judge of the Federal Court of Canada–Trial Division from January 21, 1999, until the 2003 reorganisation.
  13. ^ Judge of the Federal Court of Canada–Trial Division from June 30, 1999, until the 2003 reorganisation.
  14. ^ Judge of the Federal Court of Canada–Trial Division from December 8, 1999, until the reorganisation; appointed to the Federal Court of Appeal December 28, 2009.
  15. ^ Judge of the Federal Court of Canada–Trial Division from December 8, 1999, until the 2003 reorganisation.
  16. ^ Judge of the Federal Court of Canada–Trial Division from October 5, 2000, until the 2003 reorganisation.
  17. ^ Judge of the Federal Court of Canada–Trial Division from July 31, 2001 until the 2003 reorganisation.
  18. ^ Judge of the Federal Court of Canada–Trial Division from January 25, 2002 until the 2003 reorganisation.
  19. ^ Judge of the Federal Court of Canada–Trial Division from January 25, 2002 until the 2003 reorganisation.
  20. ^ Judge of the Federal Court of Canada–Trial Division from January 25, 2002, until the 2003 reorganisation; appointed to the Federal Court of Appeal December 12, 2008.
  21. ^ Judge of the Federal Court of Canada–Trial Division from August 8, 2002 until the 2003 reorganisation.
  22. ^ Judge of the Federal Court of Canada–Trial Division from October 10, 2002 until the 2003 reorganisation.
  23. ^ Judge of the Federal Court of Canada–Trial Division from December 11, 2002, until the 2003 reorganisation; appointed to the Federal Court of Appeal October 21, 2011.
  24. ^ Judge of the Federal Court of Canada–Trial Division from December 11, 2002 until the 2003 reorganisation.
  25. ^ Judge of the Federal Court of Canada–Trial Division from December 12, 2002 until the 2003 reorganisation.
  26. ^ Appointed to the Federal Court of Appeal June 22, 2019.
  27. ^ Appointed to the Federal Court of Appeal June 19, 2015.
  28. ^ Appointed to the Federal Court of Appeal June 18, 2010.
  29. ^ Appointed to the Federal Court of Appeal February 8, 2013.
  30. ^ Appointed to the Federal Court of Appeal April 10, 2014.
  31. ^ Appointed to the Federal Court of Appeal February 26, 2015.
  32. ^ Appointed to the Federal Court of Appeal January 30, 2014.
  33. ^ Appointed to the Federal Court of Appeal June 19, 2015.
  34. ^ Appointed to the Federal Court of Appeal March 7, 2019.
  35. ^ Appointed to the Federal Court of Appeal April 28, 2020.
  36. ^ Appointed to the Federal Court of Appeal April 19, 2022.
  37. ^ Appointed to the Federal Court of Appeal April 19, 2022.
  38. ^ Appointed to the Federal Court of Appeal September 20, 2024.
  39. ^ Appointed to the Federal Court of Appeal January 26, 2024.
  40. ^ Appointed to the Federal Court June 8, 2017.
  41. ^ Appointed to the Federal Court August 4, 2021.
  42. ^ Appointed to the Federal Court February 26, 2021.
  43. ^ Prothonotary from March 18, 2003 to creation of associate judge position, September 23, 2022.
  44. ^ Prothonotary from May 7, 2007 to creation of associate judge position, September 23, 2022.
  1. ^ Federal Courts Act, RSC 1985, c. F-7. , as amended by the Courts Administration Service Act, SC 2002, c. 8, s. 13 to 58.
  2. ^ "The Federal Court's Coat of Arms". Federal Court. January 4, 2013. Archived from the original on March 26, 2015. Retrieved May 21, 2015.
  3. ^ "Federal Court of Canada Members". Federal Court, Canada. Retrieved February 18, 2020.
  4. ^ Office of the Commissioner for Federal Judicial Affairs Canada: Guide for Candidates.
  5. ^ "Courts Administration Service". Government of Canada. Retrieved June 21, 2024.
  6. ^ "Registry Offices". Federal Court. Government of Canada. Retrieved February 24, 2024.
  7. ^ "Registry Services". Federal Court. Government of Canada. Retrieved February 24, 2024.
  8. ^ Federal Court of Canada: Activity Summary - January 1, 2024 to December 31, 2024.
  9. ^ Federal Courts Act, RSC 1985, c. F-7, s. 15.
  10. ^ Federal Courts Act, RSC 1985, c. F-7, s. 49.
  11. ^ "About the Court - Jurisdiction". Federal Court. July 7, 2021. Retrieved February 24, 2024.
  12. ^ Federal Courts Act, RSC 1985, c. F-7, s. 55.
  13. ^ "Federal Court Statistics". Federal Court, Canada. Retrieved February 18, 2020.
  14. ^ "Statistics (December 31, 2024)". Federal Court. Retrieved June 21, 2025.
  15. ^ Boudjikanian, Raffy (December 6, 2024). "Courts warn of 'critical' budget pressures as immigration cases delayed in Canada's 3 largest cities". CBC. Retrieved June 21, 2025.
  16. ^ "Delays in processing documents - Update" (PDF). Federal Court. Retrieved June 21, 2025.
  17. ^ Singer, Colin R. "Canada Extends Time Limit for Immigration Judicial Review Applications". Immigration.ca. Retrieved June 21, 2025.
  18. ^ Kyryliuk, Igor. "Federal Court grants more time for Application Records in immigration judicial reviews". Holthe Immigration Law. Retrieved June 21, 2025.
  19. ^ "Certified Questions (Immigration/Citizenship)". Federal Court. Retrieved June 21, 2025.
  20. ^ Meurrens, Steven. "Certified Questions and the Federal Court of Appeal". Meurrens on Immigration. Retrieved June 21, 2025.
  21. ^ Supreme Court Act, RSC 1985, c. S-26, s. 38.
  22. ^ a b Federal Court: Members of the Court; current to June 21, 2025.
  23. ^ "Government of Canada announces judicial appointments to the Federal Court". Retrieved March 5, 2018.

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