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Federal Court (Canada)

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This article is about the Canadian federal trial court. For the predecessor Trial Division, see Federal Court of Canada.

Federal Court
Cour fédérale
Arms of the Federal Court
Coat of Arms of the Federal Court granted in 2008
Established2003
JurisdictionCanada
LocationSits across Canada
MottoEquity, Droit, Admiralty
Composition methodAppointed by Governor General on advice of federal Cabinet
Authorized by
Appeals toFederal Court of Appeal
Judge term lengthMandatory retirement at age 75
Number of positions
  • Chief Justice
  • Associate Chief Justice
  • 39 Judges
  • 9 Associate Judges
LanguageEnglish and French
Type of tribunalSuperior court of law, equity, admiralty and judicial review
WebsiteFederal Court
Acting Chief Justice
CurrentlyMartine St-Louis
SinceOctober 31, 2025
Associate Chief Justice
CurrentlyMartine St-Louis
SinceDecember 11, 2024

The Federal Court (French: Cour fédérale) is a Canadian trial court that hears cases arising under certain areas of federal law. The Federal Court is a superior court with nationwide jurisdiction.

History

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The court was created on July 2, 2003, by amendments to the Federal Court Act, which was renamed the Federal Courts Act. The amendments split the former Federal Court of Canada into two separate courts. The Trial Division of the former court became the Federal Court, while the Appeal Division became the Federal Court of Appeal.[1]

The former Federal Court of Canada was the successor to the Exchequer Court of Canada, which was set up in 1875 by the Liberal government of Prime Minister Alexander Mackenzie. That court was primarily a revenue court, to govern disputes over federal taxation, and also civil claims against the federal government. It was succeeded in 1971 by the Federal Court of Canada, with the two divisions, trial and appellate, and a much-expanded jurisdiction, to cover matters such as immigration, patents and copyrights, and judicial review of federal boards, commissions and agencies. The 2003 amendments split the Federal Court of Canada into the current Federal Court and Federal Court of Appeal.

On October 24, 2008, the Federal Court was given its own armorial bearings by the Canadian Heraldic Authority, the third court in Canada to be given its own coat of arms – after the Court Martial Appeal Court of Canada and Ontario Superior Court of Justice. The coat of arms features a newly created fantastical creature, the winged sea caribou, as the supporters, representing the provision of justice on air, land and sea.[2]

Structure

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Judges

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The Federal Court consists of a chief justice, an associate chief justice, thirty-nine full-time judges, and nine associate judges. There is also a varying number of supernumerary positions, for judges who are approaching retirement.[3][4]

Judges are appointed by the Governor in Council, namely the governor general of Canada acting on the advice of the federal Cabinet.[5] To be appointed, a candidate must already be a judge of a superior court, or have at least ten years standing as a barrister or advocate in Canada.[6] At least ten of the judges must come from Quebec.[7]

The salaries of the judges and associate judges are reviewed every four years by the federal Judicial Compensation and Benefits Commission. As of April 1, 2025, the chief justice and associate chief justice receive $455,000 while other judges receive $414,900 annually.[8]

Law clerks are hired for one-year terms to help the judges research and prepare decisions. They are generally assigned to a particular judge.

Sittings

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Although based in Ottawa, the Federal Court holds sittings and motion days across Canada.[9][10]

Administration

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Registry offices for the federal courts, Ottawa

The Courts Administration Service provides registry services to several federal courts, including the Federal Court.[11] The Federal Court Registry is located in Ottawa, with regional offices throughout the country. The Registry in Ottawa maintains all original court files, with certified copies maintained in regional offices.[12] The Registry provides clerical services and other administrative support to the Court, and provides clerical services and procedural guidance to litigants.[13]

Jurisdiction

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Statutory jurisdiction

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The Federal Court’s authority comes from the Federal Courts Act. The court can only hear cases where a federal statute confers jurisdiction on the court to hear cases of that type. The subject-matter of a grant of jurisdiction must be within federal legislative authority.

Federal Court Proceedings — 2025[14]
  1. Immigration and refugee (82.2%)
  2. Judicial review (7.10%)
  3. Citizenship (4.40%)
  4. Crown litigation (2.20%)
  5. Intellectual property (1.80%)
  6. Aboriginal (1.00%)
  7. Admiralty (1.00%)
  8. Other appeals and applications (0.30%)

The Federal Court's jurisdiction is civil in nature. Trials and applications are conducted by a single judge,[15] and never with a jury.[16] The court hears cases in the following areas of law:[17]

These instances of jurisdiction may either be exclusive or concurrent with provincial superior courts, depending on the statute. Generally, the Federal Court has exclusive authority of judicial review over decisions made by federal boards, commissions, and administrative tribunals, other than those assigned to the Federal Court of Appeal. The jurisdiction over civil actions against the federal government is concurrent with the jurisdiction of the provincial superior courts.

In some cases, the Federal Court may have the power of judicial review over decisions by the federal Cabinet under particular statutory provisions. For example, in 2024, the Federal Court held that the federal Cabinet did not meet the statutory requirement to invoke the Emergencies Act to respond to the Freedom Convoy in 2022.[18] The Federal Court of Appeal upheld the decision.[19]

Because it is a superior court of national jurisdiction, judgments are enforceable across Canada.[20]

Immigration matters

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In 2020, more than 50% of the court's workload consisted of immigration and refugee cases, comprising 6,424 immigration-related matters commenced.[21] By the end of 2024, that number had increased to 24,667 immigration-related matters commenced in 2024,[22] which represented an increase of 44% over the year prior and quadruple the number of immigration-related cases prior to the COVID-19 pandemic.[23]

In March 2025, the Court published a notice regarding the backlog and delays in document processing times, due primarily to the increase in the number of immigration-related matters.[24] In May 2025, the court published a special order extending certain deadlines for key immigration documents[25] in order to alleviate the burden for the judiciary and court staff.[26]

Appeal process

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Most decisions of the Federal Court may be appealed to the Federal Court of Appeal. However, decisions relating to immigration and citizenship may not be appealed unless the Federal Court certifies that the decision raises a "serious question of general importance".[27][28]

In rare cases, the parties to a decision of the Federal Court can jointly seek to appeal directly to the Supreme Court of Canada, bypassing the Federal Court of Appeal in an appeal per saltum. The parties must both consent to the application, and the Supreme Court then decides whether to grant leave to appeal.[29]

Judges and associate judges

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Chief Justice and Associate Chief Justice

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Name Appointed Nominated by Position prior to appointment
Martine St-Louis, Acting Chief Justice and Associate Chief Justice 2014 (Judge) Harper Lawyer, McCarthy Tétrault
2024 (Associate Chief Justice) Trudeau
Source: Federal Court — Members of the Court[30]

Judges

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Name Appointed Nominated by Position prior to appointment
Russel W. Zinn (supernumerary) 2008 Harper Lawyer, Ogilvy Renault
Jocelyne Gagné 2012 (Judge) Harper Lawyer, Lavery, de Billy
2018–2024 (Associate Chief Justice) Trudeau
Catherine Kane 2012 Harper Senior General Counsel, Department of Justice (Canada)
Michael D. Manson (supernumerary) 2012 Harper Lawyer, Smart & Biggar
Yvan Roy (supernumerary) 2012 Harper Deputy Secretary to the Cabinet
Cecily Strickland 2012 Harper Lawyer, Stewart McKelvey
Glennys L. McVeigh 2013 Harper Senior Counsel, Public Prosecution Service of Canada
Alan Diner 2014 Harper Lawyer, Baker McKenzie
Simon Fothergill 2014 Harper Counsel, Privy Council of Canada
Denis Gascon 2015 Harper Lawyer, Norton Rose Fulbright
Richard F. Southcott 2015 Harper Vice President and General Counsel, Irving Shipbuilding Inc.
Patrick K. Gleeson 2015 Harper Senior Legal Advisor, Judge Advocate General
Ann Marie McDonald 2015 Harper Lawyer, McInnes Cooper
Roger Lafrenière (supernumerary) 2017 Trudeau Prothonotary, Federal Court
William F. Pentney 2017 Trudeau Deputy Minister of Justice and Deputy Attorney General of Canada, Department of Justice (Canada)
Shirzad S. Ahmed 2017 Trudeau Lawyer, sole practitioner
Sébastien Grammond 2017 Trudeau Professor and Dean of Civil Law, University of Ottawa
Paul Favel 2017 Trudeau Lawyer, McKercher LLP
John Norris[31] 2018 Trudeau Lawyer, sole practitioner
Nicholas McHaffie 2019 Trudeau Lawyer, Stikeman Elliott
Janet M. Fuhrer 2019 Trudeau Lawyer, Ridout & Maybee
Christine Pallotta 2020 Trudeau Lawyer, Borden Ladner Gervais
Andrew D. Little 2020 Trudeau Lawyer, Bennett Jones
Angela Furlanetto 2021 Trudeau Prothonotary, Federal Court
Lobat Sadrehashemi 2021 Trudeau Lawyer, Immigration and Refugee Legal Clinic, Vancouver
Avvy Yao-Yao Go 2021 Trudeau Clinic Director, Chinese and Southeast Asian Legal Clinic, Ontario
Mandy Aylen 2021 Trudeau Prothonotary, Federal Court
Guy Régimbald 2022 Trudeau Lawyer, Gowling WLG
Ekaterina Tsimberis 2023 Trudeau Lawyer, Smart & Biggar
Anne M. Turley 2023 Trudeau Department of Justice (Canada)
Negar Azmudeh 2023 Trudeau Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada
Phuong T.V. Ngo 2023 Trudeau Gowling WLG
Allyson Whyte Nowak 2024 Trudeau Norton Rose Fulbright Canada
Angus G. Grant 2024 Trudeau Assistant Deputy Chairperson, Refugee Appeal Division of the Immigration and Refugee Board
Julie L. Blackhawk 2024 Trudeau Lawyer, Department of Justice Canada
Michael Battista 2024 Trudeau Founding counsel, Battista Migration Law Group
Benoit M. Duchesne 2024 Trudeau Associate Judge, Federal Court
Love Saint-Fleur 2024 Trudeau Coordinating Member, Refugee Appeal Division of the Immigration and Refugee Board
Meaghan M. Conroy 2024 Trudeau MLT Aikins LLP
Danielle Ferron 2025 Trudeau Langlois Lawyers LLP
Andrew J. Brouwer 2025 Trudeau Lawyer, Legal Aid Ontario Refugee Law Office
Darren Thorne 2025 Trudeau Member, Refugee Appeal Division of the Immigration and Refugee Board
Source: Federal Court — Members of the Court[30]

Associate judges

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Name Appointed Nominated by Position prior to appointment
Martha Milczynski (supernumerary) 2003 Chrétien Chair, Financial Services Commission of Ontario and the Financial Services Tribunal
Kathleen M. Ring 2017 Trudeau General Counsel, Department of Justice Canada
Alexandra Steele 2018 Trudeau Lawyer, Robic LLP
Sylvie M. Molgat 2018 Trudeau Lawyer, Dubuc Osland
Catherine A. Coughlan 2021 Trudeau Counsel, Department of Justice Canada
L.E. Trent Horne 2021 Trudeau Lawyer, Aird & Berliss LLP
Michael Crinson 2023 Trudeau Lawyer, Crinson Law LLP
John C. Cotter 2023 Trudeau Lawyer, Osler, Hoskin & Harcourt
Catharine Moore 2024 Trudeau Counsel, Department of Justice Canada
Kirkland G. Shannon 2025 Trudeau Director General and Deputy Chief Executive Officer, Law Commission of Canada
Source: Federal Court — Members of the Court[30]

Former judges, prothonotaries, and associate judges

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Chief Justice

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Name Term in office
Allan Lutfy July 3, 2003 – September 30, 2011[a]
Paul S. Crampton December 15, 2011 – October 30, 2025[b]
Source: Federal Court — Members of the Court[30]

Notes to table

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  1. ^ Judge of the FC–TD, August 7, 1996; Associate Chief Justice of the Federal Court of Canada from December 8, 1999, until the 2003 reorganisation.
  2. ^ Judge of the Federal Court, November 26, 2009 – December 15, 2011.

Judges

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Name Term in office
Paul U.C. Rouleau July 3, 2003 – July 25, 2007[a]
Yvon Pinard July 3, 2003 – July 1, 2013[b]
Max M. Teitlebaum July 3, 2003 – January 27, 2007[c]
W. Andrew MacKay July 3, 2003 – March 20, 2004[d]
Frederick E. Gibson July 3, 2003 – August 30, 2008[e]
Sandra J. Simpson July 3, 2003 – June 10, 2020[f]
Danièle Tremblay-Lamer July 3, 2003 – August 31, 2017[g]
Douglas Campbell July 3, 2002 – August 27, 2020[h]
James K. Hugessen July 3, 2003 – July 26, 2008[i]
Pierre Blais, P.C. July 3, 2003 – February 19, 2008[j]
François Lemieux July 3, 2003 – October 5, 2012[k]
John A. O'Keefe July 3, 2003 – November 30, 2015[l]
Elizabeth Heneghan July 3, 2003 – February 9, 2026[m]
Eleanor Dawson July 3, 2003 – December 26, 2009[n]
Dolores Hansen July 3, 2003 – May 31, 2016[o]
Edmond P. Blanchard July 3, 2003 – June 27, 2014[p]
Michael A. Kelen July 3, 2003 – June 12, 2016[q]
Michel Beaudry July 3, 2003 – June 14, 2012[r]
Luc Martineau July 3, 2003 – June 14, 2012[r]
Carolyn Layden-Stevenson July 3, 2003 – December 12, 2008[s]
Simon Noël July 3, 2003 – August 31, 2022[t]
Judith A. Snider July 3, 2003 – October 15, 2013[u]
Johanne Gauthier July 3, 2003 – October 21, 2011[v]
James Russell July 3, 2003 – August 31, 2020[w]
James O'Reilly July 3, 2003 – January 9, 2025[x]
Konrad W. von Finckenstein August 14, 2003 – January 25, 2007
Sean J. Harrington September 16, 2003 – April 24, 2019
Richard Mosley November 4, 2003 – May 9, 2024
Michel M.J. Shore November 4, 2003 – April 30, 2022
Michael L. Phelan November 19, 2003 – June 8, 2022
Anne L. Mactavish November 19, 2003 – June 22, 2019[y]
Yves de Montigny November 19, 2004 – June 19, 2015[y]
Roger T. Hughes June 1, 2005 – September 16, 2016
Robert L. Barnes November 22, 2005 – November 22, 2021
Leonard S. Mandamin April 27, 2007 – August 19, 2019
Robert M. Mainville June 16, 2009 – June 18, 2010[y]
David G. Near June 19, 2009 – February 7, 2013[y]
Richard Boivin June 19, 2009 – April 10, 2014[y]
Paul S. Crampton November 26, 2009 – December 15, 2011[z]
Marie-Josée Bédard April 14, 2010 – June 25, 2015
Donald J. Rennie September 30, 2010 – February 26, 1015[y]
André F.J. Scott October 1, 2010 – January 30, 2014[y]
Mary J.L. Gleason December 15, 2011 – June 19, 2015[y]
Peter B. Annis February 7, 2013 – April 6, 2022
George R. Locke April 10, 2014 – March 7, 2019[y]
René LeBlanc April 10, 2014 – April 28, 2020[y]
Henry S. Brown June 13, 2014 – January 2, 2026
Keith M. Boswell June 30, 2014 – January 20, 2021
B. Richard Bell February 5, 2015 – October 30, 2023
Robin Camp June 26, 2015 – March 9, 2017
E. Susan Elliott June 19, 2015 – June 1, 2024
Sylvie E. Roussel June 19, 2015 – April 19, 2022[y]
Elizabeth Walker February 6, 2018 – January 26, 2024[y]
Peter George Pamel May 2, 2019 – September 20, 2024[y]
Vanessa Rochester August 4, 2021 – January 26, 2024[y]
Source: Federal Court — Members of the Court[30]

Notes to table

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  1. ^ Judge of the FC–TD from August 5, 1982, until the 2003 reorganisation.
  2. ^ Judge of the FC–TD from June 19, 1984, until the 2003 reorganisation.
  3. ^ Judge of the FC–TD from October 29, 1985, until the 2003 reorganisation.
  4. ^ Judge of the FC–TD from September 2, 1988, until the 2003 reorganisation.
  5. ^ Judge of the FC–TD from April 1, 1993, until the 2003 reorganisation.
  6. ^ Judge of the FC–TD from June 10, 1993, until the 2003 reorganisation.
  7. ^ Judge of the FC–TD from June 16, 1993, until the 2003 reorganisation.
  8. ^ Judge of the FC–TD from December 8, 1995, until the 2003 reorganisation.
  9. ^ Judge of the FC–TD from June 23, 1998, until the 2003 reorganisation.
  10. ^ Judge of the FC–TD from June 23, 1998, until the 2003 reorganisation; appointed to the Federal Court of Appeal, February 19, 2008.
  11. ^ Judge of the FC–TD from January 21, 1999, until the 2003 reorganisation.
  12. ^ Judge of the FC–TD from June 30, 1999, until the 2003 reorganisation.
  13. ^ Judge of the FC–TD from November 15, 1999, until the 2003 reorganisation.
  14. ^ Judge of the FC–TD from December 8, 1999, until the 2003 reorganisation; appointed to the Federal Court of Appeal December 28, 2009.
  15. ^ Judge of the FC–TD from December 8, 1999, until the 2003 reorganisation.
  16. ^ Judge of the FC–TD from October 5, 2000, until the 2003 reorganisation.
  17. ^ Judge of the FC–TD from July 31, 2001 until the 2003 reorganisation.
  18. ^ a b Judge of the FC–TD from January 25, 2002 until the 2003 reorganisation.
  19. ^ Judge of the FC–TD from January 25, 2002, until the 2003 reorganisation; appointed to the Federal Court of Appeal December 12, 2008.
  20. ^ Judge of the FC–TD from August 8, 2002 until the 2003 reorganisation.
  21. ^ Judge of the FC–TD from October 10, 2002 until the 2003 reorganisation.
  22. ^ Judge of the FC–TD from December 11, 2002, until the 2003 reorganisation; appointed to the Federal Court of Appeal October 21, 2011.
  23. ^ Judge of the FC–TD from December 11, 2002 until the 2003 reorganisation.
  24. ^ Judge of the FC–TD from December 12, 2002 until the 2003 reorganisation.
  25. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n Appointed to the Federal Court of Appeal.
  26. ^ Appointed Chief Justice.

Prothonotaries

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Name Term in office
J. Alfred Preston June 1, 1971 – March 13, 1984
Peter A.K. Giles June 27, 1985 – March 28, 2002
Jacques Lefebvre June 28, 1985 – February 2, 1999
John A. Hargreave February 17, 1994 – January 4, 2006
Richard Morneau November 28, 1995 – May 15, 2018
Roza Aronovitch March 10, 1999 – April 2, 2015
Roger Lafrenière April 1, 1999 – June 7, 2017[a]
Mandy Aylen June 16, 2016 – August 4, 2021[a]
Angela Furlanetto March 7, 2019 – February 26, 2021[a]
Source: Federal Court — Members of the Court[30]

Associate judges

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Name Term in office
Mireille Tabib September 23, 2022 – July 31, 2023[b]
Kevin R. Aalto September 23, 2022 – April 19, 2023[c]
Source: Federal Court — Members of the Court[30]

Notes to tables

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  • "FC–TD" indicates "Federal Court of Canada–Trial Division"
  1. ^ a b c Appointed to the Federal Court.
  2. ^ Prothonotary from March 18, 2003 to creation of associate judge position, September 23, 2022.
  3. ^ Prothonotary from May 7, 2007 to creation of associate judge position, September 23, 2022.

See also

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References

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  1. ^ Federal Courts Act, RSC 1985, c. F-7, s. 3, 4.
  2. ^ "The Federal Court's Coat of Arms". Federal Court. January 4, 2013. Archived from the original on March 26, 2015. Retrieved May 21, 2015.
  3. ^ Federal Courts Act, RSC 1985, c. F-7, s. 5.1.
  4. ^ Associate Judges (Federal Court) Regulations, SOR/2023-83, s. 1.
  5. ^ Federal Courts Act, RSC 1985, c. F-7, s. 5.2.
  6. ^ Federal Courts Act, RSC 1985, c. F-7, s. 5.3.
  7. ^ Federal Courts Act, RSC 1985, c. F-7, s. 5.4.
  8. ^ Office of the Commissioner for Federal Judicial Affairs Canada: Guide for Candidates.
  9. ^ Federal Court: Hearing Lists.
  10. ^ Federal Court: General Sittings.
  11. ^ "Courts Administration Service". Government of Canada. Retrieved June 21, 2024.
  12. ^ "Registry Offices". Federal Court. Government of Canada. Retrieved February 24, 2024.
  13. ^ "Registry Services". Federal Court. Government of Canada. Retrieved February 24, 2024.
  14. ^ Federal Court of Canada: Activity Summary - January 1, 2025 to December 31, 2025.
  15. ^ Federal Courts Act, RSC 1985, c. F-7, s. 15.
  16. ^ Federal Courts Act, RSC 1985, c. F-7, s. 49.
  17. ^ "About the Court - Jurisdiction". Federal Court. July 7, 2021. Retrieved February 24, 2024.
  18. ^ Aidan Macnab, "Invocation of Emergencies Act unreasonable, measures against Freedom Convoy unconstitutional: court", Canadian Lawyer, January 23, 2024.
  19. ^ Paul Daly, "Not Such an Emergency: Canada (Attorney General) v. Canadian Civil Liberties Association, 2026 FCA 6", Administrative Law Matters, February 18, 2026.
  20. ^ Federal Courts Act, RSC 1985, c. F-7, s. 55.
  21. ^ "Federal Court Statistics". Federal Court, Canada. Retrieved February 18, 2020.
  22. ^ "Statistics (December 31, 2024)". Federal Court. Retrieved June 21, 2025.
  23. ^ Boudjikanian, Raffy (December 6, 2024). "Courts warn of 'critical' budget pressures as immigration cases delayed in Canada's 3 largest cities". CBC. Retrieved June 21, 2025.
  24. ^ "Delays in processing documents - Update" (PDF). Federal Court. Retrieved June 21, 2025.
  25. ^ Singer, Colin R. (May 22, 2025). "Canada Extends Time Limit for Immigration Judicial Review Applications". Immigration.ca. Retrieved June 21, 2025.
  26. ^ Kyryliuk, Igor. "Federal Court grants more time for Application Records in immigration judicial reviews". Holthe Immigration Law. Retrieved June 21, 2025.
  27. ^ "Certified Questions (Immigration/Citizenship)". Federal Court. Retrieved June 21, 2025.
  28. ^ Meurrens, Steven. "Certified Questions and the Federal Court of Appeal". Meurrens on Immigration. Retrieved June 21, 2025.
  29. ^ Supreme Court Act, RSC 1985, c. S-26, s. 38.
  30. ^ a b c d e f g Federal Court: Members of the Court; current to March 15, 2026.
  31. ^ "Government of Canada announces judicial appointments to the Federal Court". Retrieved March 5, 2018.
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