The Territorial Court of Yukon (french: Cour territoriale du Yukon) is the
lower trial court in the court system of the Canadian territory of
Yukon
Yukon (; ; formerly called Yukon Territory and also referred to as the Yukon) is the smallest and westernmost of Canada's three territories. It also is the second-least populated province or territory in Canada, with a population of 43,964 as ...
. The court sits permanently in
Whitehorse
Whitehorse () is the capital of Yukon, and the largest city in Northern Canada. It was incorporated in 1950 and is located at kilometre 1426 (Historic Mile 918) on the Alaska Highway in southern Yukon. Whitehorse's downtown and Riverdale areas ...
but also provides services in 14 other communities including
Dawson City
Dawson City, officially the City of Dawson, is a town in the Canadian territory of Yukon. It is inseparably linked to the Klondike Gold Rush (1896–99). Its population was 1,577 as of the 2021 census, making it the second-largest town in Yuko ...
and
Watson Lake.
Responsibilities
According to the official website of the government of Yukon,
[Territorial Court of Yukon](_blank)
Government of Yukon Territory official site the court deals with most
criminal prosecutions in the territory under the
Criminal Code
A criminal code (or penal code) is a document that compiles all, or a significant amount of a particular jurisdiction's criminal law. Typically a criminal code will contain offences that are recognised in the jurisdiction, penalties that migh ...
and other federal statutes, as well as
young offender
A young offender is a young person who has been convicted or cautioned for a criminal offense. Criminal justice systems often deal with young offenders differently from adult offenders, but different countries apply the term "young offender" ...
s and offences under the laws of Yukon. It also handles
bail
Bail is a set of pre-trial restrictions that are imposed on a suspect to ensure that they will not hamper the judicial process. Bail is the conditional release of a defendant with the promise to appear in court when required.
In some countries ...
hearings, first appearances,
trial
In law, a trial is a coming together of Party (law), parties to a :wikt:dispute, dispute, to present information (in the form of evidence (law), evidence) in a tribunal, a formal setting with the authority to Adjudication, adjudicate claims or d ...
s and
sentencing
In law, a sentence is the punishment for a crime ordered by a trial court after conviction in a criminal procedure, normally at the conclusion of a trial. A sentence may consist of imprisonment, a fine, or other sanctions. Sentences for mult ...
, and has jurisdiction over both
summary
may refer to:
* Abstract (summary), shortening a passage or a write-up without changing its meaning but by using different words and sentences
* Epitome, a summary or miniature form
* Abridgement, the act of reducing a written work into a sho ...
and
indictable offence
In many common law jurisdictions (e.g. England and Wales, Ireland, Canada, Hong Kong, India, Australia, New Zealand, Malaysia, Singapore), an indictable offence is an offence which can only be tried on an indictment after a preliminary hearing ...
s.
The Territorial Court does not deal with most matters of family law, such as
divorce
Divorce (also known as dissolution of marriage) is the process of terminating a marriage or marital union. Divorce usually entails the canceling or reorganizing of the legal duties and responsibilities of marriage, thus dissolving the ...
,
child custody
Child custody is a legal term regarding '' guardianship'' which is used to describe the legal and practical relationship between a parent or guardian and a child in that person's care. Child custody consists of ''legal custody'', which is the righ ...
and
adoption
Adoption is a process whereby a person assumes the parenting of another, usually a child, from that person's biological or legal parent or parents. Legal adoptions permanently transfer all rights and responsibilities, along with filiation, from ...
. Its jurisdiction in
civil cases
Civil law is a major branch of the law. Glanville Williams. ''Learning the Law''. Eleventh Edition. Stevens. 1982. p. 2. In common law legal systems such as England and Wales and the United States, the term refers to non- criminal law. The law r ...
is limited to $25,000.
[Territorial Court of Yukon](_blank)
at the Yukon Courts official site
Composition
The court has three full-time
judge
A judge is a person who presides over court proceedings, either alone or as a part of a panel of judges. A judge hears all the witnesses and any other evidence presented by the barristers or solicitors of the case, assesses the credibility an ...
s and twelve deputy judges, predominantly retired judges from other jurisdictions. The Justice of the Peace Court, which is also part of the Territorial Court, consists of one full-time judge and 32 part-time
Justices of the Peace
A justice of the peace (JP) is a judicial officer of a lower or ''puisne'' court, elected or appointed by means of a commission ( letters patent) to keep the peace. In past centuries the term commissioner of the peace was often used with the sa ...
, who are not legally qualified.
List of Current Judges
Presiding Judges
* Judge Karen Ruddy
* Judge Michael Cozens
* Chief Judge Peter Chisholm
Deputy Judges
* Justice Michael S. Block, Ontario
* Judge Michel Chartier, Manitoba
* Judge Thomas Crabtree, British Columbia
* Justice Joseph De Filippis, Ontario
* Judge William Digby, Nova Scotia
* Judge John Faulkner, Yukon
* Judge Christine V. Harapiak, Manitoba
* Judge Murray J. Hinds, Saskatchewan
* Judge Martin Lambert, Ontario
* Judge Heino Lilles, Yukon
* Judge Donald S. Luther, Newfoundland
* Judge E. Ann Marie MacInnes, Nova Scotia
* Judge Gerald Morin, Saskatchewan
* Judge Brian M. Neal, British Columbia
* Judge Nancy K. Orr, Prince Edward Island
* Judge James Plemel, Saskatchewan
* Judge E. Dennis Schmidt, British Columbia
* Judge Richard D. Schneider, Ontario
* Judge Herman J. Seidemann III, British Columbia
* Judge Carol Ann Snell, Saskatchewan
* Judge Murray P. Thompson, Manitoba
* Judge David C. Walker, New Brunswick
* Judge Timothy W. White, Saskatchewan
* Judge Pamela Williams, Nova Scotia
* Judge Raymond E. Wyant, Manitoba
References
External links
Territorial Court of Yukon websiteTerritorial Court Act
{{Courts of Canada
Yukon courts
Yukon
Yukon (; ; formerly called Yukon Territory and also referred to as the Yukon) is the smallest and westernmost of Canada's three territories. It also is the second-least populated province or territory in Canada, with a population of 43,964 as ...