Activities
The Supreme Court has planned many
activities to commemorate 150 years of history and judicial independence. We invite you to join us
in
reflecting on our legacy.
- Visits to 5 Canadian cities
- Special exhibit on the Supreme
Court of Canada’s history
- Photo exhibit on Plaza
Bridge
- $1 commemorative circulation
coin
- Book for children about the Supreme
Court of Canada
- Legal symposium
- Legal essay and art
contests
- Law Clerk Reunion
- Ceremonial opening of the judicial
year
- Translation of pre-1970
decisions
Visits to 5
Canadian cities
Building on the success of the
Court’s
visits to Winnipeg
in 2019 and Quebec City
in 2022, judges will visit 5 communities across Canada throughout 2025. These visits will
provide opportunities for members of the public, students (high school and university), journalists,
and
the legal and judicial communities to engage with members of the Court.
- Victoria, British Columbia – February 3-4, 2025
- Moncton, New Brunswick – March 10-11, 2025
- Yellowknife, Northwest Territories – September 14-15, 2025
- Sherbrooke, Quebec – October 21-23, 2025
- Thunder Bay, Ontario – November 17-18, 2025
The visits are intended to promote
a
better understanding of the Court’s role and function and reflect on how its decisions have shaped
the
country’s legal landscape. Stay tuned for more details on each visit.
Special exhibit
on the Supreme
Court of Canada’s history
A special exhibit exploring the history of the Supreme Court was presented in the grand entrance hall earlier this year. Among the documents on display were original copies of the proclamation of the Constitution Act, 1982 and the Supreme and Exchequer Court Act. Thank you to our partners at Library and Archives Canada and the Senate of Canada for their collaboration, which helped bring the Court’s beginnings to life.
Photo exhibit
on Plaza Bridge
An outdoor photographic exhibit tracing the Supreme Court’s history is on display on the Plaza Bridge over the Rideau Canal, east of the National War Memorial. Learn more about the Court through the years and follow the commemorative banners west along Wellington Street to continue your experience with a visit of the Supreme Court building. This exhibit is presented in collaboration with Canadian Heritage.
$1
commemorative circulation coin
On April 8, the Royal Canadian Mint issued a $1 circulation coin commemorating the 150th anniversary of the Supreme Court of Canada.
The reverse of this coin, designed by Ontario artist Silvia Pecota, features the façade of the Supreme Court of Canada, whose front steps are overlaid with the Court’s 150th anniversary logo. On the coloured coin, the logo appears as a blue circle bearing the inscription “150” in white in the centre, framed by a white laurel branch at the bottom left it and the dates “1875–2025” at the top right. The inscriptions “SUPREME COURT OF CANADA” and “COUR SUPRÊME DU CANADA” appear on either side of this image. The obverse features the effigy of His Majesty King Charles III, designed by Steven Rosati.
“We are
gratified
to know that as these beautiful $1 coins circulate across the country, Canadians
may develop a deeper appreciation of the Supreme Court’s role as guardian of our
Constitution
and
the Charter of Rights and Freedoms.”
— The Right Honourable Richard Wagner, P.C.
Chief Justice of Canada
“The Royal
Canadian Mint cherishes its unique ability to circulate coins that celebrate the values that
are most dear to Canada and Canadians, and that includes honouring the institutions that
protect our rights as Canadian citizens.”
— Marie Lemay
President and CEO of the Royal Canadian Mint
Book for children about the Supreme Court of Canada
This year, visitors will have the chance to collect a copy of “Owl about the Court”, a book for children aged 6 to 12, featuring Mr. Simon’s Grade 6 class. Follow along as they visit the Court for the first time and learn more about this important Canadian institution commemorating its 150th anniversary. Visit the Court to pick up a copy of “Owl about the Court”, or download a copy of the book!
Legal symposium
On April 10-11, 2025, the Supreme Court of Canada hosted a bilingual symposium, gathering justices of the Supreme Court, representatives from Canadian and international courts and other partners from the legal community. The symposium examined and explored the role that the Court plays in today’s justice system, as well as how that role can and should evolve.
Engaged speakers and moderators fostered a rich and constructive dialogue, driven by curiosity and humility. This symposium would not have been possible without the collaboration of the National Judicial Institute and the staff of the Supreme Court of Canada.
Read the remarks by the Right Honourable Richard Wagner, P.C.
Legal essay and
art
contests
The Supreme Court held
essay and art contests for students from across the country.
Law students were invited
to
submit an essay about a landmark Supreme Court decision and its impact on Canadian society.
Congratulations
to Anne Lin Arghirescu from McGill University Faculty of Law and Sandrine Couture from the Faculty
of Law
at Université de Montréal, and thank you to all who participated!
Young people between 5 and 17 years of age were invited to display their creativity by producing a
graphic
artwork to mark the 150th anniversary of the Supreme Court of Canada. Congratulations to Caylan
Situ, Hanna Lemus and Zoey Verhovsek, winners of the art contest, and thank you to everyone who has
submitted their artwork!
Law Clerk
Reunion
A reunion of the former law clerks of the Supreme Court of Canada took place in Ottawa from June 13 to 15, 2025. This event brought together clerks, judges and executive legal officers who worked at the Court from 1967 (the first year of the law clerk program) all the way to 2025! Thank you to all who participated.
Ceremonial
opening
of the judicial year
In honour of its 150th anniversary, the Supreme Court of Canada hosted a ceremonial opening of the judicial year on October 6, 2025. Ceremonies to mark the start of a new session are held in some Canadian provinces and in many jurisdictions around the world. They provide an opportunity for the legal community to get together and reflect on current issues facing the justice system.
This ceremony marked the first ceremonial opening of the judicial year at the Supreme Court since the mid-1980s.
Read the remarks by the Right Honourable Richard Wagner, P.C.
Translation of pre-1970 decisions
On the occasion of the 150th anniversary, the Office of the Registrar of the Supreme Court of Canada has begun translating some of the Court’s most significant decisions rendered prior to the coming-into-force of the Official Languages Act in 1970. For this purpose, the Supreme Court of Canada established an independent committee of legal experts to select decisions to be translated. On June 6, 2025, the Committee shared its report in which they recommended 24 Supreme Court decisions that should, in their opinion, be translated.
The original decision has not been altered, only translated into both French and English. These translations are not official, as the judges who originally decided these cases are now deceased and cannot approve them.
Read the first translated decision: