Courts of BC

The court system in British Columbia has three levels:

Provincial Court: The trial court, which deals with Small Claims up to $35,000, family (except property and divorce orders), child protection, all youth criminal offenders, most adult criminal, and traffic matters.

Supreme Court: Supreme Court can hear any type of case unless a statute says it cannot. The Supreme Court hears also hears certain appeals from the Provincial Court, and sometimes reviews the decisions of certain provincial tribunals and public decision-making bodies. 

Court of Appeal: The province’s highest court. This court hears appeals from the Supreme Court and certain Provincial Court decisions. Appeals from the BC Court of Appeal go to the Supreme Court of Canada.

The Federal Court system is separate from the provincial court system. Federal Courts can only hear cases that are specified in legislation. For example, the Federal Court can hear cases about disputes between provinces and territories, taxation issues, or cases involving federal Crown corporations (e.g., the Post Office). Appeals from the Federal Court go to the Federal Court of Appeal, then to the Supreme Court of Canada.

The Supreme Court of Canada, located in Ottawa, is the highest-level Court in Canada. It hears appeals from every Court of appeal in the provinces and territories across Canada, the Federal Court of Appeal, and the Court Martial Appeal Court. There is no appeal from a decision made by the Supreme Court of Canada.