Which BC court will hear my case?
Which court hears your case depends on the type of legal issue.
- BC Provincial Court (opens in a new tab) handles most family matters (except divorce, and property division), small claims from $5001 to $35,000, most criminal cases and traffic and bylaw cases.
- BC Supreme Court (opens in a new tab) handles divorce and other family matters, larger civil disputes, claims over $35,000, and serious criminal cases.
- The BC Court of Appeal (opens in a new tab) hears appeals from the Supreme Court.
The CourtsOfBC.ca website provides an introduction to our justice system and describes the jurisdiction of each level of court.
Many legal issues, such as employment and renting disputes, are handled by BC government agencies, rather than BC courts. Specialized government tribunals have authority to hear cases and make decisions. This area of law is called Administrative Law. To learn more about BC and Canadian tribunals, visit AdminLawBC.ca (opens in a new tab) or the BC Civil Resolution Tribunal (opens in a new tab).
If you have questions about which court will hear your case, or if your issue will be handled by a tribunal, Ask a Human or Ask AI. Get free answers to your legal questions.
Others found these helpful...
- BC Provincial Court (opens in a new tab)
Learn more about the types of cases handled in BC Provincial Court and court processes.
- Small Claims BC (opens in a new tab)
Access this Online Help Guide to learn how to represent yourself in BC Small Claims Court.
- Supreme Court BC (opens in a new tab)
Access this Online Help Guide to learn how to represent yourself in BC Supreme Court.
- Court of Appeal BC (opens in a new tab)
Access this Online Help Guide to learn how to represent yourself in the BC Court of Appeal.
- Admin Law BC (opens in a new tab)
Access this Online Help Guide to learn more about government agencies and tribunals that receive complaints and make decisions.
- BC Civil Resolution Tribunal (opens in a new tab)
The Solution Explorer on the CRT website provides free legal information and self-help tools that enable people to address disputes for up to $5000.
- BC Courts (opens in a new tab)
This website provides information related to cases heard in BC Supreme Court and the BC Court of Appeal, including daily court lists, judgments and more.
- Courthouse Libraries BC (opens in a new tab)
This organization manages 30 libraires in courthouses across BC. Staff assist members of the public with a broad range of legal issues. They also publish Clicklaw.