The chief justice of Canada is the presiding judge of the nine-member Supreme Court of Canada, the highest judicial body in Canada. As such, the chief justice is the highest-ranking judge of the Canadian court system. The Supreme Court Act makes the chief justice, a Crown in Council appointment, meaning the Crown acting on the advice of the prime minister and minister of justice. The chief justice serves until they resign, turn 75 years old, die, or are removed from office for cause. By tradition, a new chief justice is chosen from among the court's incumbent puisne justices.
Chief Justice of Canada
Image: William Buell Richards
Image: William Johnstone Ritchie
Image: Samuel Henry Strong in 1895
The Supreme Court of Canada is the highest court in the judicial system of Canada. It comprises nine justices, whose decisions are the ultimate application of Canadian law, and grants permission to between 40 and 75 litigants each year to appeal decisions rendered by provincial, territorial and federal appellate courts. The Supreme Court is bijural, hearing cases from two major legal traditions and bilingual, hearing cases in both official languages of Canada.
Courtroom inside the Second Supreme Court of Canada building in April 1890
The justices of the Supreme Court of Canada in 1961.
Courtroom seats used by the justices of the Supreme Court of Canada
Richard Wagner, the current chief justice (since 2017)