Federal Court (Canada)

Federal Court
Coat of Arms of the Federal Court granted in 2008
Established	2003
Country	Canada
Location	Ottawa, Ontario
Authorized by	Constitution Act, 1867 Federal Courts Act Courts Administration Service Act
No. of positions	32
Website	Federal Court
Chief Justice
Currently	Paul S. Crampton
Since	December 15, 2011

The Federal Court (French: Cour fédérale) is a Canadian trial court that hears cases arising under certain areas of federal law. The Federal Court is a lower court with nationwide jurisdiction.

The Court was created on July 2, 2003 by the Courts Administration Service Act when it and the Federal Court of Appeal were split from their predecessor, the Federal Court of Canada (which was created June 1, 1971, through the enactment of the Federal Court Act, subsequently renamed the Federal Courts Act). The Court's authority comes from the Federal Courts Act.

On October 24, 2008, the Federal Court was given its own Armorial bearings by the Governor General, the third court in Canada to be given its own Coat of Arms – after the Court Martial Appeal Court of Canada and Ontario Superior Court of Justice. The coat of arms features a newly created fantastical creature, the winged sea caribou, as the supporters, representing the provision of justice on air, land and sea.

The Federal Court consists of a Chief Justice and thirty-two other judges. Currently, there are 28 full-time judges (leaving five vacancies in the Court), along with four supernumerary judges, six deputy judges, and six prothonotaries.

Law Clerks are hired for not more than a one-year terms to help the judges research and prepare decisions. They are generally assigned to a particular judge.