British Columbia Supreme Court

Supreme Court of British Columbia
Coat of Arms
Country	British Columbia, Canada
Location	Cariboo; Kootenay; Nanaimo; Prince Rupert; Vancouver; Victoria; Westminster; and Yale
Authorized by	Supreme Court Act, 1996
No. of positions	102
Website	Supreme Court
Chief Justice
Currently	Christopher E. Hinkson
Since	November, 2013

The Supreme Court of British Columbia (BCSC) is the superior trial court for the province of British Columbia, Canada. The BCSC hears civil and criminal law cases as well as appeals from the Provincial Court of British Columbia. Including supernumerary judges, there are presently 108 judges. There are also 13 Supreme Court masters who hear and dispose of a wide variety of applications in chambers.

The court was established in 1869 as the "The Supreme Court of the Mainland of British Columbia" to distinguish it from the "Supreme Court of Vancouver Island". The two courts merged in 1870 under the present name.

The BCSC is a court of record, having original jurisdiction in all cases, civil and criminal, arising in British Columbia. The BCSC has inherent jurisdiction under the Constitution of Canada in addition to any jurisdiction granted to it by federal or provincial statute.

The BCSC has jurisdiction in any civil dispute, including those matters where the dollar amount involved is within the jurisdiction of the Small Claims division of the Provincial Court. Under the Criminal Code, the BCSC is included as a "superior court of criminal jurisdiction", meaning that it has exclusive jurisdiction for the trial of serious crimes within British Columbia.

The BCSC also hears appeals from the Provincial Court and some administrative tribunals. Appeals from its own judgments are heard by the Court of Appeal of British Columbia.

The BCSC is also responsible for call ceremonies for admitting lawyers and notaries public where the respective oath of office is administered by a justice.

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