The Honourable Andrew Parsons, Minister of Justice and Public Safety and Attorney General, is pleased to announce the new Court of Appeal Act which came into effect on January 1, 2018.
The new act, which received Royal Assent on December 7, 2017, brings the province in line with other jurisdictions in Canada by establishing the Court of Appeal of Newfoundland and Labrador as a separate court, independent from the Supreme Court, Trial Division.
Any matter referring to the Court of Appeal, Appeal Division, the Supreme Court of Newfoundland and Labrador-Appeal Division, or the Supreme Court of Newfoundland and Labrador, Court of Appeal, will now be considered by the Court of Appeal of Newfoundland and Labrador.
Any matter referring to the Supreme Court, Trial Division, Trial Division, or the Supreme Court of Newfoundland and Labrador-Trial Division, will now be considered by the Supreme Court of Newfoundland and Labrador. The Supreme Court will continue to be composed of a General Division and a Family Division.
Any proceeding previously underway in the Supreme Court of Newfoundland and Labrador, Court of Appeal, shall continue as a proceeding of the Court of Appeal of Newfoundland and Labrador. As well, any proceeding previously underway in the Supreme Court of Newfoundland and Labrador, Trial Division, shall continue as a proceeding of the Supreme Court of Newfoundland and Labrador.
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“The separation of the Court of Appeal and the Trial Division is significant to the administration of justice. It’s important that we do what we can to ensure there are no perceived biases within our courts and that they operate independently. This change brings us in line with our counterparts across the country and it should increase confidence in the courts.”
Honourable Andrew Parsons
Minister of Justice and Public Safety and Attorney General
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Supreme Court of Newfoundland and Labrador – www.court.nl.ca/supreme/
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Lesley Clarke
Justice and Public Safety
709-729-6985, 699-2910
LesleyClarke@gov.nl.ca