THE COURT STRUCTURE OF QUEBEC AND LOWER CANADA, 1764 TO 1860
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COURT STRUCTURE TABLE: 1794-1841
(links lead to the relevant court profile)
 
CIVIL FIRST INSTANCE CRIMINAL FIRST INSTANCE APPELLATE
COURTS OF KING'S BENCH  
1. Districts of Quebec and Montreal 
(1 for each district) 
Superior terms: civil matters >£St10, or >£St20 from the District of Gaspé; appeal to the Provincial Court of Appeals in cases >£St20 
Inferior terms: civil matters £St10 
2. District of Trois-Rivières 
(1 for the district) 
Civil matters >£St10; appeal to the Provincial Court of Appeals in cases >£St20 
Inferior terms (from 1830): civil matters £St10 
3. District of St. Francis (from 1830) 
(1 for the district) 
Civil matters >£St10; appeal to the Provincial Court of Appeals in cases >£St20 

PROVINCIAL COURTS 
1. District of Trois-Rivières 
(1 for the district) 
Civil matters £St10 
2. District of Gaspé 
(1 for the district) 
Civil matters £St20 (to 1822), £100 involving purely personal suits (1822 to 1824) or £100 of all types (from 1824); appeal to the Superior terms of Court of King's Bench of Quebec in cases >£St20 (from 1822) 
3. District of St. Francis (from 1823) 
(1 for the district) 
Civil matters £St20 involving purely personal suits; appeal to the Superior terms of the Courts of King's Bench of Trois-Rivières and Montreal (to 1832) or the Court of King's Bench of St. Francis (from 1832) in cases >£St10 

CIRCUIT COURTS 
(1 for each district apart from Gaspé; from 1832, also 1 for the District of St. Francis) 
Civil matters £St10 

CIRCUIT COURTS OF REQUESTS (from 1839)  
(1 for each of the Districts of Quebec, Montreal and Trois-Rivières) 
Civil matters £St10 involving purely personal suits 

COMMISSIONERS' COURTS (1807 to 1810, from 1821)  
(several in each district; from 1839, abolished in the Districts of Quebec, Montreal, and Trois-Rivières) 
Certain civil matters  £5 (1807 to 1810),  £4-3sh-4d (1821 to 1833) or  £6-5sh (from 1833) 

JUSTICES OF THE PEACE   
(numerous in each district) 
Justices in the country parishes: certain minor civil matters  £3 (1817 to 1830) or  £4-3sh-4d (from 1830); certain civil matters  £4-3sh-4d (1819 to 1821)

COURTS OF KING'S BENCH 
(1 for each of the Districts of Quebec, Montreal, and Trois-Rivières) 
All criminal matters; appeal to the King/Queen and Council from fines >£St100 

COURTS OF OYER AND TERMINER AND GENERAL GAOL DELIVERY  
(in each district as needed) 
All criminal matters; appeal to the King/Queen and Council from fines >£St100 

COURTS OF QUARTER SESSIONS OF THE PEACE  
(1 for each district) 
Criminal matters not involving loss of life or limb 

COURTS OF WEEKLY SESSIONS OF THE PEACE / COURTS OF SPECIAL SESSIONS OF THE PEACE 
(1 in Quebec City, Montreal, and Trois-Rivières) 
Minor criminal matters; appeal to the Courts of Quarter Sessions of the Peace in certain cases 

POLICE COURTS (from 1838) 
(several in the province) 
Minor criminal matters; appeal to the Courts of Quarter Sessions of the Peace in certain cases 

JUSTICES OF THE PEACE  
(numerous in each district) 
Minor criminal matters; appeal to the Courts of Quarter Sessions of the Peace in certain cases

KING/QUEEN AND COUNCIL 
Appeals from the Provincial Court of Appeals in civil cases >£St500, and from all courts in criminal cases involving fines £St100 

PROVINCIAL COURT OF APPEALS  
(1 for the entire province) 
Appeals from the lower courts in civil cases >£St10; appeal to the King and Council in cases >£St500 

COURTS OF KING'S BENCH 
1. Districts of Quebec and Montreal 
(1 for each district) 
Superior terms (Quebec): appeals from the Provincial Court of Gaspé in civil cases >£St20 (1822 to 1824) and in all civil cases (from 1824) 
Superior terms (Montreal): appeals from the Provincial Court of St. Francis in civil cases >£St10 (1823 to 1832) 
2. District of Trois-Rivières 
(1 for the district) 
Appeals from the Provincial Court of St. Francis in civil cases >£St10 (1823 to 1832) 
3. District of St. Francis (from 1832) 
(1 for the district) 
Appeals from the Provincial Court of St. Francis in civil cases >£St10 

COURTS OF QUARTER SESSIONS OF THE PEACE  
(1 for each district) 
Appeals from the lower courts in certain criminal cases



Donald Fyson, with the assistance of Evelyn Kolish and Virginia Schweitzer, The Court Structure of Quebec and Lower Canada, 1764-1860 (Montreal: Montreal History Group, 1994/1997/2023). http://www.profs.hst.ulaval.ca/Dfyson/Courtstr/

Page content last updated 2004-02-18