Terms and Conditions

Privacy Notice
Official Languages Notice
Hyperlinking Notice
Copyright / Permission to Reproduce
Trademark Notice
Accessibility Notice
Personal Information Collection Statement
Third-Party Information Liability Disclaimer
Interacting With Us on Social Media

Privacy Notice

The Government of Canada and the Supreme Court of Canada are committed to providing websites on which the privacy of visitors is respected. This notice summarizes privacy practices for the Supreme Court of Canada's online activities.

The Supreme Court of Canada is not subject to the Privacy Act. Nonetheless, the Policy for Access to Supreme Court of Canada Court Records addresses privacy concerns with respect to court records.

Your Privacy and the Internet

The nature of the Internet is such that Web servers automatically collect certain information about each visit to a website, including the visitor's Internet Protocol (IP) address. IP addresses are unique numbers assigned by Internet Service Providers (ISPs) to all devices used to access the Internet. Web servers automatically log the IP addresses of visitors to their sites. The IP address, on its own, does not identify an individual. However, in certain circumstances — with the co-operation of an ISP, for example — it could be used to identify an individual using the site. For this reason, the Government of Canada considers the IP address to be personal information, particularly when it is combined with other data automatically collected when a visitor requests a Web page, such as the page or pages visited, and the date and time of the visit.

Unless otherwise noted, the Supreme Court of Canada does not automatically gather any specific information from you, such as your name, telephone number or email address. The Supreme Court of Canada would obtain this type of information only if you supplied it to us, for example, by email or by filling in an online form.

Where services are provided by organizations outside of the Government of Canada, such as the Supreme Court judgments hosted by Lexum, the Library catalogue, the Supreme Court's webcasts or social media platforms, IP addresses may be recorded by the Web server of the third-party service provider.

Communicating with the Government of Canada

If you choose to send an email message to the Supreme Court of Canada or to complete a feedback form on line, your personal information will be used by the Supreme Court of Canada in order to respond to your inquiry. The information you provide will not be shared with another government institution unless your inquiry relates to that institution. The Supreme Court of Canada does not use such information to create individual profiles, nor does it disclose the information to anyone other than persons at the Supreme Court of Canada or the Government of Canada who need to provide you with a response.

Email messages and other electronic methods used to communicate with the Government of Canada are not secure absent a specific statement to that effect on a Web page. It is recommended that you not send sensitive personal information, such as your Social Insurance Number or your date of birth, through non-secure electronic channels.

Personal information from email messages or completed feedback forms is collected pursuant to the Supreme Court Act. Such information may be used for statistical, evaluation and reporting purposes.

Improving your Experience on Government of Canada Websites

Web Analytics

Web analytics is the collection, analysis, measurement and reporting of data about Web traffic and visits for purposes of understanding and optimizing Web usage.

When your computer requests a Supreme Court of Canada Web page, our institution collects the following types of information for Web analytics purposes:

the originating IP address;
the date and time of the request;
the type of browser used; and
the page(s) visited.

The Supreme Court of Canada retains information collected for Web analytics purposes for a maximum of 18 months. After that time, the information will be disposed of Information used for Web analytics purposes is collected pursuant to the Supreme Court Act. Such data may be used to compile statistics with respect to communications and information technology, as well as for audit, evaluation, research, planning and reporting purposes.

Protecting the Security of Government of Canada Websites

The Supreme Court of Canada employs software programs to monitor network traffic in order to identify unauthorized attempts to upload or change information, or to otherwise cause damage. These programs receive and record the IP address of each computer that contacts our website, as well as the date and time of the visit and the pages visited. We make no attempt to link such addresses with the identities of individuals visiting our site unless an attempt to damage the site has been detected.

This information is collected pursuant to section 161 of the Financial Administration Act. It may be shared with appropriate law enforcement authorities if suspected criminal activities are detected. Such information may be used to compile statistics with respect to network security, as well as for audit, evaluation, research, planning and reporting purposes.

Inquiring about these Practices

Any questions, comments, concerns or complaints you may have regarding privacy practices and policies related to the Supreme Court of Canada's Web presence may be directed to the Court by email at reception@scc-csc.ca, by telephone at 613-996-7521 or by writing to the Deputy Registrar, Supreme Court of Canada, 301 Wellington Street, Ottawa, ON, K1A 0J1.

Official Languages Notice

The Official Languages Act, the Official Languages (Communications with and Services to the Public) Regulations and Treasury Board policy requirements establish the circumstances in which the Supreme Court of Canada uses both English and French to provide services to or communicate with members of the public. Where there is no obligation to use both official languages, content may be available in one official language only. Where content (a factum, for example) is provided by an entity not subject to the Official Languages Act, it will be available only in the language(s) in which the content was originally provided. Content provided in a language other than English or French is provided only for the convenience of visitors to our Web site.

Hyperlinking Notice

Links to websites not under the control of the Government of Canada are provided solely for the convenience of visitors to our website. The Government of Canada is not responsible for the accuracy, currency or reliability of the content. It offers no guarantees in that regard and is not responsible for any information found using such links, nor does it endorse the sites or their content.

Visitors should also be aware that information found on non-Government of Canada sites to which this website links is not subject to the Privacy Act or to the Official Languages Act, and may not be accessible to persons with disabilities. Such information may be available only in the language(s) used by the sites in question. With respect to privacy, visitors should consult the privacy policies of these non-Government websites before providing personal information.

Copyright /Permission to Reproduce

The material on this website was produced and/or compiled by the Supreme Court of Canada. The purpose of the Supreme Court of Canada's website is to deliver information and services to users that are relevant to its mandate. You may use and reproduce the material as set out below:

Non-Commercial Reproduction

Unless otherwise specified, you may reproduce the material in whole or in part for non-commercial purposes, in any format, without charge or further permission, provided you do the following:

Exercise due diligence in ensuring the accuracy of the reproduced material;
Indicate the complete title of the reproduced material and identify the Supreme Court of Canada as the source; and
Indicate that the reproduction is a copy of the version available at [URL where the original document is available].

The reproduction must not be represented as an official version of the reproduced material, or as having been made in affiliation with or with the endorsement of the Supreme Court of Canada.

Commercial Reproduction

Unless otherwise specified, you may not reproduce material on this site, in whole or in part, for the purposes of commercial redistribution without prior written permission from the Supreme Court of Canada. To obtain permission to reproduce material on this site for commercial purposes, please contact: reception@scc-csc.ca Attention: Deputy Registrar.

Decisions, Reasons for Decision, Cases in Brief, Bulletins of Proceedings and News Releases

The decisions and reasons for decision of the Supreme Court of Canada fall within the terms of the Reproduction of Federal Law Order, P.C. 1996-1995, December 19, 1996, SI/97-5, and may be reproduced, in whole or in part and by any means, without charge and without further permission from the Supreme Court of Canada, provided that due diligence is exercised in ensuring the accuracy of the reproduced materials and that the reproduction is not represented as an official version.

Headnotes and other editorial features of reasons for decision (such as captions, paragraph numbers, and lists of cases, statutes and regulations and authors cited), Cases in Brief, Bulletins of Proceedings and news releases do not fall within the terms of the Reproduction of Federal Law Order. They may be reproduced, in whole or in part and by any means, without charge and without further permission from the Supreme Court of Canada, for personal use and for other uses permitted under the Copyright Act, R.S.C. 1985, c. C‑42, as amended from time to time, provided that the user:

exercises due diligence in ensuring the accuracy of the reproduced materials;
identifies the Supreme Court of Canada as the source; and
does not represent the reproduced materials as an official version or as having been made in affiliation with or with the endorsement of the Supreme Court of Canada.

To request permission to reproduce any of these materials for a commercial purpose, please contact: reception@scc-csc.ca Attention: Deputy Registrar.

Supreme Court Reports

The official versions of decisions and reasons for decision of the Supreme Court of Canada are published in the Supreme Court Reports (S.C.R.). Preparing the decisions for publication takes a few months, and involves formatting the headnotes and reasons for decisions so that the English and French versions appear side-by-side, and making any editorial corrections that are necessary.

The S.C.R. is available in print and digital format. The digital format can be accessed under “Resources.” Since 2013, the Court has released the PDF and print versions of the S.C.R. at the same time. The earlier volumes of the S.C.R. have been converted to digital format. Counsel may cite either the print or the digital version of the S.C.R. in documents filed with the Supreme Court of Canada.

Pending the publication in the S.C.R., HTML, Word and PDF versions of the decisions and reasons for decision are provided in both English and French. These are posted as soon as the decision and reasons for decision are released, with the exception of decisions rendered from the bench. In those cases, the decision will be posted a few days later. The HTML, Word and PDF versions are reliable but users are cautioned that there may be computer-generated errors or other discrepancies from the official version later published in the S.C.R.

If editorial corrections are required after a decision is published in the S.C.R., they will be noted in the “errata” section of a subsequent volume of the S.C.R. These editorial corrections are usually incorporated into the HTML and Word versions, but not into the side-by-side PDF version as it is a copy of the print version of the S.C.R. In all cases, counsel are advised to check the “errata” section of subsequent volumes of the S.C.R.

Photographs

Where a photograph forms part of the “Supreme Court of Canada Collection”, copyright is held by the Supreme Court of Canada and the photographs may be used or reproduced in accordance with the Copyright Act or with the written authorization of the Court. Where a photograph does not form part of the “Supreme Court of Canada Collection”, permission for use or reproduction must be obtained directly from the copyright holder.

Webcasts - Restrictions

Webcasts and audio files of Supreme Court of Canada proceedings may not be broadcast, rebroadcast, transmitted, communicated to the public by telecommunication, or otherwise be made available in whole or in part in any form or by any means, electronic or otherwise, except in accordance with the Copyright Act or with the written authorization of the Court. To request permission to use such material or to request a copy on DVD, please fill out the on-line Request to Use Court Photographs, Webcasts or Audio/Video Recordings. Live and archived Webcasts of appeal hearings are available on the Court Website.

Third Party Materials

Some of the material on this site may be subject to the copyright of another party. Where material has been prepared by a third party or copyright is not held by the Government of Canada, the material is protected under the Copyright Act, and under international agreements. Information concerning copyright ownership is indicated on the relevant page(s). To obtain additional information concerning copyright ownership and restrictions, please contact us by email at reception@scc-csc.ca.

Memorandums of Argument on Application for Leave to Appeal - Restrictions

Memorandums of argument on an application for leave to appeal on this website are prepared by or on behalf of the parties to proceedings. To obtain information concerning copyright ownership and restrictions on reproduction of memorandums of argument on this site, please contact the copyright holder directly. His or her name appears at the end of the memorandum of argument and the contact information is available from SCC Case Information.

Factums on Appeal - Restrictions

Factums on appeal on this website are prepared by or on behalf of the parties to proceedings. To obtain information concerning copyright ownership and restrictions on reproduction of factums on appeal on this site, please contact the copyright holder directly. His or her contact information appears on the first page of each factum.

Trademark Notice

The official symbols of the Government of Canada, including the Canada Wordmark, the Arms of Canada and the flag symbol may not be reproduced, whether for commercial or non-commercial purposes, without prior written authorization.

Official Marks and Other Protected Material of the Supreme Court of Canada

The official marks or other protected material of the Supreme Court of Canada may not be reproduced, whether for commercial or non-commercial purposes, without written authorization from the Supreme Court of Canada. The Supreme Court of Canada's four official marks were published in volume 44 of the Trade-marks Journal on August 13, 1997, on page 163. Requests for authorization to use the official marks or other protected material may be sent by email at reception@scc-csc.ca, or by writing to the Deputy Registrar, Supreme Court of Canada, 301 Wellington Street, Ottawa, ON, K1A 0J1.

Accessibility Notice

The Government of Canada is committed to achieving a high standard of accessibility as defined in the Standard on Web Accessibility. Should you have difficulty using our Web pages, applications or device-based mobile applications, please contact us for assistance or to obtain alternative formats, such as regular print, Braille or another appropriate format.

Factums on Appeal and Memorandums of Argument on Application for Leave to Appeal

If the pages of a factum on appeal or a memorandum of argument on an application for leave to appeal are not accessible to you, please contact the Registry either by telephone at 1-844-365-9662, or by email at registry-greffe@scc-csc.ca for assistance.

Webcasts

To ensure that you get the most out of your Supreme Court of Canada online experience, we recommended that you use an up-to-date browser. Please see our frequently asked questions for more complete technical information.

If you are unable to view or hear webcasts for reasons related to accessibility, you may obtain transcripts of proceedings by contacting the Registry for assistance either by telephone at 1-844-365-9662, or by email at registry-greffe@scc-csc.ca.

Library Catalogue

At present our Library Catalogue is not as accessible as we would like it to be. We are aware of its shortcomings in this regard and are working with the software vendors in order to better serve our users.

We are also endeavoring to ensure that the other on-line services we provide are the most accessible on the market.

If you would like more information on the Library Catalogue or assistance in its use, please contact the Library by email at library-bibliotheque@scc-csc.ca or call 613-996-8120.

Personal Information Collection Statement

Public Communications

The personal information you include in an inquiry may be used to prepare a reply. Such information is collected pursuant to the Supreme Court Act. It may be used for statistical, evaluation and reporting purposes.

The transmission of this information is not secure, so sensitive personal information, such as your Social Insurance Number, should not be included in your message.

If, after reading this statement, you prefer not to submit your inquiry via the Internet, you may use one of the following methods:

By Telephone: 613-995-4330 or 1-888-551-1185

By Mail: 301 Wellington Street, Ottawa, Ontario K1A 0J1

In Person at: 301 Wellington Street, Ottawa, Ontario

Teletypewriter: 613-944-7985

Privacy Inquiry

Any questions, comments, concerns or complaints regarding privacy practices and policies of the Supreme Court of Canada may be sent by email at reception@scc-csc.ca, or by writing to the Deputy Registrar, Supreme Court of Canada, 301 Wellington Street, Ottawa, ON, K1A 0J1.

Third-Party Information Liability Disclaimer

Some of the information on this Web page has been provided by external sources. The Government of Canada is not responsible for the accuracy, reliability or currency of information supplied by external sources. Users wishing to rely upon this information should consult directly with the source of the information. Content provided by external sources is not subject to official languages, privacy and accessibility requirements.

Interacting With Us on Social Media

This notice has been written to explain how the Supreme Court of Canada interacts with the public on social media platforms.

The Communications Services group of the Office of the Registrar of the Supreme Court of Canada is responsible for the administration and content production for all Supreme Court of Canada social media accounts.

Please do not use our social media platforms for requests for legal information or any other matter requiring a reply. In order to ensure that your requests are directed to the appropriate group, please refer to our contact information.

Third-Party Social Media

Social media account(s) are public and are not hosted on Supreme Court of Canada servers. Users who choose to interact with The Supreme Court of Canada via social media should read the terms of service and privacy policies of these third-party service providers and those of any applications used to access them. The Supreme Court of Canada uses Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn.

Personal information that you provide to the Supreme Court of Canada via social media account(s) is collected to capture conversations (e.g. questions and answers, comments, “likes”, retweets etc.) between you and the Supreme Court of Canada. It may be used to respond to inquiries, or for statistical, evaluation and reporting purposes.

Content and Frequency

We use our Twitter accounts as an alternative method of sharing the Judgments. By following our social media accounts (by “following,” “liking” or “subscribing”), you can expect to see information about the business of the Supreme Court of Canada.

We understand that the Web is a 24/7 medium, however you should expect to see new Twitter and Facebook content posted Monday to Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. EST/EDT. Please note that our LinkedIn account is currently static.

Because the servers of social media platforms are managed by a third party, our social media accounts are subject to downtime that may be out of our control. As such, we accept no responsibility for platforms becoming unresponsive or unavailable.

Links to Other Websites and Ads

Our social media accounts may post or display links or ads for websites that are not under our control. These links are provided solely for the convenience of users. The Supreme Court of Canada is not responsible for the information found through these links or ads, nor does it endorse the sites or their content.

Following, “Favouriting” and Subscribing

Our decision to “follow”, “favourite” or “subscribe” to another social media account does not imply an endorsement of that account, channel, page or site, and neither does sharing (re-tweeting, reposting or linking to) content from another user.

Comments and Interaction (Rules of Engagement)

We will read comments and we ask that your comments be relevant and respectful. We reserve the right to delete comments that violate this notice, and the user may be blocked and reported to prevent further inappropriate conduct.

We cannot engage in issues of party politics or answer questions that break the rules of this notice.

We reserve the right to edit or delete comments that:

Contain personal information;
Are contrary to the principles of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms;
Express racist, hateful, sexist, homophobic, slanderous, insulting or life-threatening messages;
Could be in violation of Canadian law;
Put forward serious, unproven or inaccurate accusations against individuals or organizations;
Are aggressive, coarse, violent, obscene or pornographic;
Are offensive, rude or abusive to an individual or an organization;
Are not sent by the author or are put forward for advertising purposes;
Encourage illegal activity;
Contain announcements from labour or political organizations;
Are written in a language other than English or French;
Are unintelligible or irrelevant; and
Are repetitive or spam.

In short, please be respectful and make sure that your comments are relevant to where they are posted. You are fully responsible for all content submitted in your comments, and all posted comments are in the public domain.

Accessibility of Social Media Platforms

Social media platforms are third-party service providers and are not bound by Government of Canada standards for Web accessibility.

If you have difficulty accessing content on our social media accounts, please contact us by email at social@scc-csc.ca and we will try to solve the problem or provide you with the information in a different format.

Copyright

Information that we post is subject to the Copyright Act.

Privacy

Our social media accounts are not Government of Canada websites and represent only our presence on third-party service providers.

For more information, please refer to our Privacy Notice. For information relating to privacy on our social media platforms, please refer to the privacy policies of Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn.

Official Languages

Many social media platforms have multiple language options and provide instructions on how to set your preferences. The Supreme Court of Canada respects the Official Languages Act and is committed to ensuring that our information of is available in both French and English and that both versions are equal quality.

We may share links that direct users to sites of organizations or other entities that are not subject to the Official Languages Act and available only in the language(s) in which they are written. When content is available in only one language, we make an effort to provide similar content in the other official language.

Media Questions and Requests

Reporters are asked to send questions to the Supreme Court of Canada’s Executive Legal Officer at media@scc-csc.ca