Court of Appeal of Newfoundland and Labrador


The Court of Appeal of Newfoundland and Labrador is at the top of the hierarchy of courts for the Canadian province of Newfoundland and Labrador. The Court of Appeal derives its powers and jurisdiction from the Court of Appeal Act.
The independent Court of Appeal was established in 2018 and comprises the Chief Justice and 5 other justices. At any given time there may be one or more additional justices who sit as supernumerary justices. From 1975 until 2018 the Court of Appeal was constituted as the appeal division of the Supreme Court of Newfoundland and Labrador with judges appointed specifically to hear appeals from the Trial Division of the Supreme Court. Prior to 1975 both trial and appeals were carried out in the Supreme Court, where the individual judges routinely acted as a trial judges but, in the event of an appeal, would sit together to hear it.
The Court now hears appeals of all type from the Supreme Court of Newfoundland and Labrador's General Division and Family Division, the Provincial Court, and a number of boards and tribunals. Decisions are subject to final appeal to the Supreme Court of Canada. Prior to 1949, when Newfoundland became a province of Canada, final appeals passed to the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council, which was the highest court for the British Empire and Commonwealth. .

Current members

Supernumerary
Position / NameAppointedNominated byPosition Prior to Appointment
Justice J. Derek Green 2009HarperChief Justice of the Supreme Court of Newfoundland and Labrador
Justice Charles W. WhiteHarperLawyer at White, Ottenheimer & Baker

List of Chief Justices

Source :
Court of Civil Jurisdiction founded 1791
Supeme Court of Judicature of the Island of Newfoundland founded 1792
Supreme Court of Newfoundland founded 1824
Supreme Court of Newfoundland and Labrador Court of Appeal founded 1975.
NoNameAppointedPosition prior to AppointmentNotes
25Deborah FrySupreme Court of Newfoundland and Labrador
24J. Derek Green27 Mar 2009Became a Supernumerary Justice on 1 December 2017
23Clyde Wells1999Court of Appealto 2009
22James R. Gushue1996to 1998
21Noel Goodridge17 Nov 1986
20Arthur Samuel Mifflin1979Chief Justice Trials Division
19Robert Stafford Furlong1958
18Sir Albert Joseph WalshSep 19491st Lieutenant-Governor
17Sir Lewis Edward Emerson1944Commissioner for Defence
16Sir William Henry Horwood25 July 1902Minister of Justice and Attorney-General
15Sir Joseph Ignatius Little1898Judge
14Sir Frederick Bowker Terrington Carter20 May 1880Prime Minister of Newfoundland
13Sir Hugh William Hoyles4 March 1865Prime Minister and Attorney General
12Sir Francis Brady29 Nov 1847
11Thomas Norton5 Nov 1844
10John Gervase Hutchinson Bourne1838Removed from office, 1844
9Henry John Boulton1833Attorney General of Upper CanadaRemoved from office, 1844
8Richard Alexander Tucker1 Oct 1822
7Sir Francis Forbes4 Aug 1816Crown Law Officer in Bermudaleft to be the first Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of New South Wales.
6Caesar Colclough
1813
Chief Justice of Prince Edward Island
5Thomas Tremlett1804Naval OfficerExchanged for Colclough, 1813
4Jonathan Ogden1803Naval Officer
3Richard Routh1797Collector of CustomsDrowned at sea
2D'Ewes Coke1793Naval surgeon
1John Reeves1791Law Clerk to the Board of Trade Sole judge; author of the Judicature Acts of 1791 and 1792