Which courts are below the Ontario Court of Appeal?

Which courts are below the Ontario Court of Appeal?

• A. Federal Court
• B. Small Claims Court
• C. Superior Courts
• D. Divisional Courts

Answer: (D)

In Ontario, the Court of Appeal sits at the top of the province’s appellate structure for most matters. The level immediately below it is the Divisional Court, which is a division of the Superior Court of Justice. This division handles certain appeals from lower Ontario courts (including decisions from the Small Claims Court) and from various tribunals, and it serves as the direct stepping stone to the Court of Appeal. The Federal Court operates at the federal level and isn’t part of Ontario’s provincial ladder, so it isn’t below the Ontario Court of Appeal. While the Small Claims Court is indeed a lower court, its typical path to appeal runs through the Divisional Court rather than directly to the Court of Appeal, making Divisional Courts the correct identification of the court directly below the Court of Appeal in this provincial framework.

In Ontario, the Court of Appeal sits at the top of the province’s appellate structure for most matters. The level immediately below it is the Divisional Court, which is a division of the Superior Court of Justice. This division handles certain appeals from lower Ontario courts (including decisions from the Small Claims Court) and from various tribunals, and it serves as the direct stepping stone to the Court of Appeal. The Federal Court operates at the federal level and isn’t part of Ontario’s provincial ladder, so it isn’t below the Ontario Court of Appeal. While the Small Claims Court is indeed a lower court, its typical path to appeal runs through the Divisional Court rather than directly to the Court of Appeal, making Divisional Courts the correct identification of the court directly below the Court of Appeal in this provincial framework.