Topic: Ontario Court

The Court of Appeal for Ontario (frequently referred to as Ontario Court of Appeal or OCA) is headquartered in downtown Toronto, in historic Osgoode Hall.

The Court is composed of 24 judges who hear over 1,500 appeals each year, on issues of private law, constitutional law, criminal law, administrative law, and other matters. The Supreme Court of Canada hears appeals from less than 3% of the decisions of the Court of Appeal; in a very practical sense, the Court of Appeal is the last avenue of appeal for most litigants in the province. Among the Court of Appeal's most notable decisions was a 2003 ruling that legalized same-sex marriage in Ontario. Among many judges from the Court who have been elevated to the Supreme Court of Canada are Justices Rosalie Abella, Louise Arbour, Peter Cory, Louise Charron, Bora Laskin, and Bertha Wilson.

The court derives its jurisdiction from Ontario's Courts of Justice Act.