The Superior Court of Quebec (french: Cour supérieure du Québec) is a superior

trial court A trial court or court of first instance is a court having original jurisdiction, in which trials take place. Appeals from the decisions of trial courts are usually made by higher courts with the power of appellate review (appellate courts). Mos ...

in the

Province of Quebec Quebec ( ; )According to the Canadian government, ''Québec'' (with the acute accent) is the official name in Canadian French and ''Quebec'' (without the accent) is the province's official name in Canadian English is one of the thirteen p ...

, in

Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tot ...

. It consists of 157 judges who are appointed by the federal government. Appeals from this court are taken to the

Quebec Court of Appeal The Court of Appeal of Quebec (sometimes referred to as Quebec Court of Appeal or QCA) (in French: ''la Cour d'appel du Québec'') is the highest judicial court in Quebec, Canada. It hears cases in Quebec City and Montreal. History The Court wa ...

Jurisdiction

The Superior Court of Quebec is the court of original general jurisdiction, which hears all cases not expressly assigned to another court or administrative body. It possesses both criminal and civil jurisdiction. It also hears certain appeals in criminal and penal matters. Moreover, it also possesses exclusive jurisdiction to hear and determine class actions and applications for injunctive relief. Furthermore, the Superior Court is vested exclusive jurisdiction of judicial review over all lower courts in Quebec, over legal persons established in the public interest or for a private interest, and over partnerships and associations and other groups not endowed with juridical personality. All criminal matters that are tried by jury must be tried by the Superior Court.

Judges

The Superior Court is composed of 157 justices, including a Chief Justice, a Senior Associate Chief Justice, and an Associate Chief Justice. It can also have a maximum of 111 supernumerary judges.

Chief Justices

Chief Justices (term): artial listing* Edward Bowen (1849–1866) * Sir

William Collis Meredith Sir William Collis Meredith, (23 May 1812 – 26 February 1894) was Chief Justice of the Superior Court of Quebec, Superior Court for the Province of Quebec from 1866 to 1884. In 1844, he was offered but refused the positions of Solicitor General ...

(1866–1884) * Sir Andrew Stuart (1885–1889) * Sir

Francis Godschall Johnson Sir Francis Godschall Johnson (January 1, 1817 – May 27, 1894) was a Canadian office holder. He was appointed Lieutenant Governor of Manitoba on April 9, 1872, but had his commission revoked before he was sworn in. In 1889, he was appoint ...

(1889–1894) * Sir

Louis-Napoléon Casault Sir Louis-Napoléon Casault (July 10, 1823 – May 18, 1908) was a Quebec lawyer, judge, professor and political figure. He represented Bellechasse in the 1st Canadian Parliament from 1867 to 1870 as a Conservative member. Biography He was ...

(1894–1904) * Sir

Adolphe-Basile Routhier Sir Adolphe-Basile Routhier (May 8, 1839 – June 27, 1920) was a Canadian judge, author, and lyricist. He wrote the lyrics of the original French version of the Canadian national anthem "O Canada". He was born in Saint-Placide, Quebec, to Ch ...

(1904–1906) * Sir

Melbourne McTaggart Tait Sir Melbourne McTaggart Tait, (May 20, 1842 – February 19, 1917) was a Canadian lawyer and judge. Born in Melbourne, Canada East, he studied at St Francis College and received a Bachelor of Civil Law degree from McGill University in 1862. ...

* Sir Charles Peers Davidson (1912–1915) * Sir

François-Xavier Lemieux François-Xavier Lemieux (9 February 1811 – 16 May 1864) was a French Canadian lawyer and politician. He was born at Pointe-Lévy in 1811 and studied at the Petit Séminaire de Québec. He articled in law, was called to the bar in 1839 and ...

(1915–?) *

R.A.E. Greenshields Robert Alfred Ernest Greenshields (February 2, 1861 – September 28, 1942) was Chief Justice of the Superior Court of the Province of Quebec; Dean of the Faculty of Law at McGill University and 9th Chancellor of Bishop's University. Gre ...

(1929–1942) *

Albert Sévigny Albert Sévigny, (December 31, 1881 – May 14, 1961) was a Canadian politician. Life and career Sévigny was born in Tingwick, Quebec. He opened a law practice in Quebec City in 1905. Two years later, he was a candidate for the Quebec Cons ...

(1942–1959) *

Frédéric Dorion Frédéric Dorion (August 23, 1898 – July 15, 1981) was a Quebec politician and chief justice. He led a group of Independent MPs in the House of Commons of Canada who were opposed to the implementation of conscription during World War II. ...

(1963–1973) * Jules Deschênes (1973–1983) * Alan B. Gold (1983–1992) *

Lawrence A. Poitras Lawrence A. Poitras (April 3, 1931 – April 9, 2022) was a judge in the Canadian province of Quebec. He was best known for serving on an inquiry into the wrongful conviction of Donald Marshall and overseeing a high-profile public inquiry into ...

(1992–1996) * Lyse Lemieux (1996–2004) *

François Rolland François () is a French masculine given name and surname, equivalent to the English name Francis. People with the given name * Francis I of France, King of France (), known as "the Father and Restorer of Letters" * Francis II of France, King o ...

(2004–2015) *

Jacques R. Fournier Ancient and noble French family names, Jacques, Jacq, or James are believed to originate from the Middle Ages in the historic northwest Brittany region in France, and have since spread around the world over the centuries. To date, there are over ...

(2015-2022) *

Marie-Anne Paquette Marie Anne or Marie-Anne is the name of: Aristocrats *Princess Marie Anne of France (1664-1664?), daughter of King Louis XIV of France * Infanta Marie Anne of Portugal (1861-1942), Portuguese infanta and Grand Duchess consort of Luxembourg *Marie ...

(since 2022)

Sources and notes

Superior Court of Quebec

List of Superior Court Justices
{{Courts of Canada Quebec courts

Quebec Quebec ( ; )According to the Canadian government, ''Québec'' (with the acute accent) is the official name in Canadian French and ''Quebec'' (without the accent) is the province's official name in Canadian English is one of the thirtee ...

1849 establishments in Canada Courts and tribunals established in 1849