Provincial/Territorial Courts

Courts that have explicit jurisdiction over administration of justice in the provinces and territories. Provincial/territorial courts deal with most offences under federal criminal laws (except, in some provinces/territories, those involving jury trials), provincial/territorial statutes and municipal by-laws; and, in some provinces/territories, with civil cases involving limited amounts of money. The names and divisions of provincial and territorial courts may vary from place to place, but their role remains the same. Preliminary hearings for numerous offences take place in Provincial/Territorial Court while resulting trials take place in Superior Court, and there are numerous offences which can be tried entirely in either court, depending on choices made by either the Crown or the defence or the jurisdictional rules in a particular province/territory. Provincial/Territorial Courts may also have specialized divisions which deal with specific types of cases, e.g., domestic violence, young offenders, family law matters. Judges are appointed and paid by provincial/territorial government.