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Legal terms

Lawyers and judges use a legal vocabulary that can be confusing to people who don't work in the courts. For an explanation of legal terms used in Ontario courts, consult the glossary on the Ministry of the Attorney-General website. Click here.

Taking some young guests to court

by M. Monastyrskyj, CELOS researcher

Ontario courtrooms are public, which means anyone can walk in and watch the proceedings. At Old City Hall it is common to see students sitting in on court sessions. On Wednesday November 5, 2008, it was my turn to take a group of young people to court, three of them to be exact: Anne, Percy and Davey. You can read their reports about the visit here.

We agreed to meet at 1:30pm for a 2pm session in courtroom 111. We met early outside the courthouse so that I could tell them what to expect. First, I said they would have to go through a metal detector when they entered the building. Then I pointed out a few things to look out for. I told them about disclosure and said they would probably hear that word a lot. I pointed out that the people with green sashes are justices of the peace while those with red are judges. I briefly explained the roles played by the Crown attorney and duty counsel. I asked if they knew what country gave Canada its court system. Anne knew it was Britain.

At 2, the clerk opened the door and we went into courtroom 111. A few minutes later, another larger group of students sat down next to us. We were in 111 for half an hour. It was the normal 2pm routine. Prisoners appeared by video for a few minutes each and during the occasional delay the court dealt with defendants who were not in custody. Anne made note of the legal terms she was hearing. We did hear the word disclosure a lot.

Court Visit: students' observations of Old City Hall Court, 2008

A.W., a student living in the Dufferin Grove neighbourhood

As part of a grade 10 civics project and partly out of curiosity, I visited Toronto’s courthouse at Old City Hall with my two brothers (thirteen and ten years old) and our guide, Michael, on Wednesday, November fifth, 2008. While on the outing, we observed several court cases, which took place in various rooms around the building.

The Courts of Justice Act on the subject of public access to courts:

71. The administration of the courts shall be carried on so as to,

(a) maintain the independence of the judiciary as a separate branch of government;

(b) recognize the respective roles and responsibilities of the Attorney General and the judiciary in the administration of justice;

(c) encourage public access to the courts and public confidence in the administration of justice;

(d) further the provision of high-quality services to the public; and

(e) promote the efficient use of public resources. 2006, c. 21, Sched. A, s. 14.

Court documents are public

The Courts of Justice Act, R.S.O. 1990, Chapter C.43 sets out the court structure in Ontario. Part VII, which governs court proceedings, has a subsection entitled “Public Access”. This section sets out the general rule that all court documents are public, but clearly leaves the judge the discretion to deviate from this principle in instances where s/he thinks that there is the possibility of serious harm or injustice to any person. In this case, the information about the hearing may be disclosed except where the judge has expressly forbidden this.

A guide to visiting a court in Toronto

Toronto court locations and phone numbers

Entering the court house - When you visit at court room at Old City Hall or at College Park, you have to pass through a metal detector. You are asked to place any metal objects you have with you (keys, coins, etc.) into a small blue basket which then goes through an X-ray machine. If you set off the metal detector, a court officer will pass a wand over you to find out what caused the detector to go off. Sometimes people forget to remove coins or keys from their pocket or they have some other small metal object on them.

Court room 101, Old City Hall - This small court room is located in the basement of Old City Hall. Almost every defendant who appears in this court is in custody. Bail hearings (also called "show cause") are held in this court room. Cases are often transferred (traversed) from here to other court rooms.

Court room 111, Old City Hall - This is the set-date court. It's a bit of an assembly line, with most cases taking 5 minutes or even less. People facing charges appear before a Justice of the Peace to have a court date set. Most of the people who appear here are not in custody, but some are. Prisoners are led up the stairs that are located in front of the public benches, into a glassed-in box. Sometimes you can hear the waiting prisoners thumping on the floor downstairs. Prisoners also appear here via video.


Content last modified on December 09, 2008, at 09:05 PM EST