Nunavut Court of Justice
Encyclopedia
The Nunavut Court of Justice is the superior court
and territorial court
of the Canadian territory of Nunavut
. It is located in the Nunavut Justice Centre (Building #510) in Iqaluit. It was established on April 1, 1999 as Canada's only "unified" or single-level court. Prior to the establishment of Nunavut as a separate territory, justice was administered under the two separate bodies of the Northwest Territories - the Supreme and Territorial courts.
Besides court proceedings at the Nunavut Justice Centre, a circuit court
travels to communities throughout the territory to conduct cases.
The current judges of the court are:
These judges are federally appointed.
They have the authority of justices of the peace, provincial court judges and superior court judges.
They reside in Iqaluit, Nunavut and also serve as members of the Courts of Appeal of the Yukon and Northwest Territories.
Superior court
In common law systems, a superior court is a court of general competence which typically has unlimited jurisdiction with regard to civil and criminal legal cases...
and territorial court
Provincial Court
The Provincial and Territorial Courts in Canada are local trial "inferior" or "lower" courts of limited jurisdiction established in each of the provinces and territories of Canada. These courts typically hear criminal, civil , family, traffic, and bylaw cases...
of the Canadian territory of Nunavut
Nunavut
Nunavut is the largest and newest federal territory of Canada; it was separated officially from the Northwest Territories on April 1, 1999, via the Nunavut Act and the Nunavut Land Claims Agreement Act, though the actual boundaries had been established in 1993...
. It is located in the Nunavut Justice Centre (Building #510) in Iqaluit. It was established on April 1, 1999 as Canada's only "unified" or single-level court. Prior to the establishment of Nunavut as a separate territory, justice was administered under the two separate bodies of the Northwest Territories - the Supreme and Territorial courts.
Besides court proceedings at the Nunavut Justice Centre, a circuit court
Circuit court
Circuit court is the name of court systems in several common law jurisdictions.-History:King Henry II instituted the custom of having judges ride around the countryside each year to hear appeals, rather than forcing everyone to bring their appeals to London...
travels to communities throughout the territory to conduct cases.
The current judges of the court are:
- Senior Judge, Madame Justice Beverly Browne (1993), originally a Territorial Court Judge in pre-division Northwest Territories, strong supporter of the Akitsiraq Law School program, leader in music education (Iqaluit Music Society), church organist (St. Jude's Anglican Cathedral) and responsible for the integration of Inuit elders into functions in the Nunavut Courts.
- Mr. Justice Robert Kilpatrick (1999), appointed at the creation of Nunavut,
- Mr. Justice Earle Johnson (2003), appointed in 2003 to support growing work of the Court,
- Mr. Justice Neil Sharkey (2009), first member of the Nunavut Law Society in 1999, first judge called to the bench from the Nunavut Bar
These judges are federally appointed.
They have the authority of justices of the peace, provincial court judges and superior court judges.
They reside in Iqaluit, Nunavut and also serve as members of the Courts of Appeal of the Yukon and Northwest Territories.