Title and statement of responsibility area
Title proper
General material designation
Parallel title
Other title information
Title statements of responsibility
Title notes
Level of description
Repository
Reference code
Edition area
Edition statement
Edition statement of responsibility
Class of material specific details area
Statement of scale (cartographic)
Statement of projection (cartographic)
Statement of coordinates (cartographic)
Statement of scale (architectural)
Issuing jurisdiction and denomination (philatelic)
Dates of creation area
Date(s)
Physical description area
Physical description
300 m of textual records
Publisher's series area
Title proper of publisher's series
Parallel titles of publisher's series
Other title information of publisher's series
Statement of responsibility relating to publisher's series
Numbering within publisher's series
Note on publisher's series
Archival description area
Name of creator
Administrative history
The Supreme Court of Nova Scotia has its origins in the powers given to Governor Edward Cornwallis in the Commission and Royal Instructions issued in London on 6 May 1749. By that instrument, the governor was given plenary powers in judicial matters to establish courts of justice. In 1750, Cornwallis established the General Court, consisting of the Governor and Council. In 1754, the General Court was replaced by the Supreme Court, with Jonathan Belcher appointed first chief justice. During its first two decades the Supreme Court operated only at Halifax. However, between 1774 and 1816 a circuit system was established throughout the province, with individual circuit courts having all the powers of the court at Halifax. The Supreme Court began as a criminal court but soon assumed a civil jurisdiction as well. Its jurisdiction has continued to evolve over its long and complex history. The Supreme Court's procedure was codified with the passage of the Judicature Act in 1884. When acting as a court of original jurisdiction, one judge presided; as an appellate court, cases were heard by the full court sitting at Halifax. Amendments enacted in 1962, and effective in 1966, replaced this arrangement with a formally constituted Appeal Division of the Supreme Court, separated from the Trial Division, which was set up at the same time. In 1992 the Court Reform Act reconstituted the Appeal Division as a separate court - the Nova Scotia Court of Appeal.
Custodial history
Scope and content
Fonds consists of: Sous-fonds - Supreme Court at Halifax, Sous-fonds - Supreme Court on county circuit
Notes area
Physical condition
Immediate source of acquisition
Arrangement
Court records were among the first records received by the Public Archives after the building opened in 1931. Early efforts to describe the Supreme Court records used the county as the basis of arrangement and description without recognizing the various seats of the Court as all being part of the same judicial body. The 250th anniversary of the Court in 2004 provided an opportunity to renew the arrangement and description of these records. Although all of the records of the Supreme Court are now arranged as a single fonds, the previous arrangement is still reflected in the designation of three sous-fonds, comprising the records of the Court at Halifax, the records of the Court on County Circuit, and the records of the Court as a court of appeal.
Language of material
Script of material
Location of originals
Availability of other formats
Restrictions on access
Terms governing use, reproduction, and publication
Finding aids
Sous fonds descriptions available.
Associated materials
The Nova Scotia Court of Appeal fonds continues the records related to the Court's jurisdiction as Nova Scotia's highest court of appeal, except for those cases heard by the Supreme Court of Canada.
Accruals
Further accruals expected.