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The Supreme Court’s badge designed by Ernest Cormier SUPREME COURT OF CANADA

The Supreme Court of Canada Building: The Supreme Court’s heritage home

The Supreme Court of Canada Building at 301 Wellington Street was designed in the late 1930s by Ernest Cormier, a well-known Montréal architect who also designed the Quebec Court of Appeal building in Montréal, the Government Printing Bureau in Gatineau and the University of Montréal’s main pavilion. It is the permanent home of the Supreme Court.

The Court’s heritage building is located just west of the Parliament buildings on a bluff above the Ottawa River and set back from Wellington Street by a large lawn. In the summer of 2026, the Supreme Court of Canada Building closed for long-term restoration. The judges and staff of the Court have temporarily relocated across the street to the West Memorial Building.

Front of the Supreme Court of Canada building

On this page

Statues

There are 2 bronze statues next to the steps at the entrance of the Supreme Court of Canada Building, which were erected in 1970. The statue on the west side is named Veritas (Truth) and holds a book with her name inscribed. The statue on the east side is named Ivstitia (Justice) and holds a partially hidden sword. They were sculpted by Toronto artist Walter S. Allward, the creator and architect of the Canadian National Vimy Memorial in France, amongst many other works.

Wide shot of the statue Veritas (Truth)
Wide shot of the statue Ivstitia (Justice)
The grand entrance hall

The grand entrance hall

The 2 bronze doors at the front of the Supreme Court of Canada Building give access to the impressive grand entrance hall. The central feature of the grand entrance hall is the double staircase leading to the Supreme Court courtroom.

There is a courtroom at each end of the grand entrance hall, one used by the Federal Court of Appeal and the other by the Federal Court.

The cornerstone and commemorative plaques

The building’s cornerstone is located on the southern outside wall. It was laid by Queen Elizabeth on May 20, 1939, in the presence of her husband, King George VI. The cornerstone is dated May 19, 1939, because the royal couple’s ship to Canada was delayed by bad weather, and the ceremony was postponed by a day. Since the stone had already been inscribed, it was laid as is. Later, 2 additional commemorative plaques were inscribed in both official languages on the inside of the grand entrance hall to commemorate the event with the correct date.

The plaque commemorating the royal visit
The judges’ gallery

The judges’ gallery is next to the grand entrance hall, in the centre of the building. Formerly used as a lawyers’ lounge, this room was later used to welcome visitors and featured photographs of all the current and former judges of the Supreme Court.

The main courtroom

The main courtroom occupies the centre of the building on the first floor and was only used by the Supreme Court. The courtroom’s 6 tall windows open to interior courtyards, which provide natural light and protect from outside noise.

The judges and several lawyers sitting in the main courtroom
The judges’ conference room

The judges’ conference room

The judges’ conference room is directly behind the courtroom. The judges met in this room before and after hearings to discuss cases.

The Library

The main reading room of the Court’s Library is on the third floor of the building, directly above the grand entrance hall. The Library has a large collection of materials from common and civil law jurisdictions, which has been moved to the West Memorial Building as part of the Court’s temporary relocation.

The Supreme Court of Canada Library
The grand entrance hall

Architectural details

The Supreme Court of Canada Building has many unique architectural elements:

  • The marble and bronze used in the grand entrance hall were the highest quality materials available at the time of its construction. In this room, you can find rubané marble walls, Verdello and Montanello marble flooring and the stairs’ banisters are made of golden marble from Morocco.
  • The plaster rosettes in the ceiling were precast and placed by hand.
  • The 7 tall windows and 4 bronze skylights were designed by Ernest Cormier to provide a dramatic and naturally lit setting. He also designed the 5 large fluorescent light fixtures that hang from the ceiling.
  • The walls of the main courtroom are made of black walnut with wood accents called fluted pilasters.
  • The walls of the Federal Court of Appeal courtroom and the Federal Court courtroom are made of Australian blackwood with zebrawood pilasters trimmed with Honduran mahogany.
Date modified: 2026-09-02