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Archival description
Only top-level descriptions Victoria (B.C.) Court records--British Columbia--Vancouver Island
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Victoria Supreme Court daily diaries and other material

  • GR-0433
  • Series
  • 1907-1934

This series consists of 19 volumes of Victoria Supreme Court daily diaries, 1907, 1910-1912, 1916-1919, 1923-1932, 1934. Volume 1 includes weather reports as well as matters of the court.

British Columbia. Supreme Court (Victoria)

Victoria County Court record books

  • GR-0583
  • Series
  • 1879-1888

This series consists of record books from the Victoria County Court, 1879-1888. Records include journals, ledgers, and a letterbook of correspondence outward, written by A.F. Pemberton, County Court Judge, Dec. 1879 - Dec. 1880; Edwin Leigh, Registrar, Feb. 1883 - Nov. 1884; and Harvey Combe, Acting Registrar, Jan. 1885 - Nov. 1886.

British Columbia. County Court (Victoria)

Victoria Police Court records

  • GR-0605
  • Series
  • 1865-1924; predominantly 1865-1871, 1885, 1890-1924

This series consists of Victoria Police Court record books, 1890-1924; magistrate's cash books, 1865-1871, recording fines and trade and liquor licenses; and a transcript of Regina vs. Lawrence, ca. 1896.

British Columbia. Police Court (Victoria)

Cause books

  • GR-0657
  • Series
  • 1858-1882

This series consists of civil cause books from the Supreme Court of Vancouver Island, 1858-1870 and Supreme Court of British Columbia (Victoria), 1870-1882. All volumes are indexed. From 29 October 1866 fees relating to these cases are entered in the mainland fees book.

Vancouver Island. Supreme Court of Civil Justice

Vancouver Island Supreme Court of Civil Justice fee books

  • GR-0659
  • Series
  • 1859-1870

This series consists of 7 volumes of Vancouver Island Supreme Court fee books maintained by the Registrar, 1859-1870. The volumes record fees owing to the Supreme Court. Volume 2 also includes the registrar's office diary.

Although the colonies of Vancouver Island and mainland British Columbia were united in 1866, the Supreme Court of each Colony remained as two separate Supreme Courts until they were merged in 1870 as the Supreme Court of British Columbia, based in Victoria.

Vancouver Island. Supreme Court of Civil Justice

Telegrams sent by registrar

  • GR-0846
  • Series
  • 1899-1912

This series consists of copies of telegrams sent by registrar of the Victoria Supreme Court, 1899-1912.

British Columbia. Supreme Court (Victoria)

Registrar's daily diaries

  • GR-0851
  • Series
  • 1906-1935

This series consists of 46 volumes of the Victoria County Court Registrar's daily diaries, 1906-1935.

British Columbia. County Court (Victoria)

Victoria County Court Speedy trials case files

  • GR-1567
  • Series
  • 1888-1916

This series contains criminal case files under the "Speedy Trials Act". May include transcripts and Police Court proceedings.

British Columbia. County Court (Victoria)

Victoria Supreme Court divorce orders

  • GR-1587
  • Series
  • 1877-1998

The series consists of divorce orders issued by the Supreme Court of Victoria between 1877 and 1998. After October 1998, divorce orders were filed in the Supreme Court order books.

Records from 1877 to December 31, 1948 have been microfilmed. Records from 1949 onward are original paper records. The records consist of decrees nisi and absolute.

Volumes in containers 830561-0001 to 830561-0020 contain indexes.

Until 1968, divorces in BC were granted under the English Divorce and Matrimonial Causes Act of 1857 (amended 1858). Selected sections of the Act were incorporated into BC’s Divorce and Matrimonial Causes Act in 1897 (RSBC 1897, c. 62) and remained largely unchanged until 1968 when the Federal government passed the first national divorce act. This act superseded existing provincial legislation, and a Central Registry of Divorce Proceedings was also created at this time.

In 1972, BC’s Divorce and Matrimonial Causes Act was repealed and replaced with the Family Relations Act, which included provisions for issues related to custody. In 1985, the federal Divorce Act was passed, and came into effect in 1986. Under the 1985 Act, the use of decrees nisi was discontinued. Decrees nisi, which had been used inconsistently prior to the 1930s, required a waiting period before a decree absolute – the finalization of the dissolution of the marriage – could be issued. Between 1968 and 1985, decrees nisi required a three-month waiting period. After this time, a decree absolute could be applied for. During this time, a divorce was not legally in effect without a decree absolute.

Under the 1985 Divorce Act, a single court order of dissolution was issued, under which the divorce automatically comes into effect 31 days after the divorce has been granted.

British Columbia. Supreme Court (Victoria)

Bills of sale indexes and registers

  • GR-1900
  • Series
  • 1861-1956

The series consists of 11 volumes of a bills of sale indexes and registers created by the Victoria Supreme Court between 1861 and 1956. The registers list bills of sale for chattel mortgages and conditional sales and related volumes of nominal indexes. Most of the volumes relate to bills of sale in Victoria but one volume is an index to bills of sale on the mainland.

British Columbia. Supreme Court (Victoria)

Victoria Supeme Court minute books

  • GR-1901
  • Series
  • 1889-1925

Minute books for civil and criminal cases. There are a few actions involving ships marked Vice-Admiralty Court and Exchequer Court, B.C. Admiralty Division.

British Columbia. Supreme Court (Victoria)

Victoria bankruptcy cause book

  • GR-1903
  • Series
  • 1920-1969, 1978-1981

The series consists of cause books for bankruptcies tried in the Victoria Supreme Court between 1920 and 1981. Entries are arranged chronologically by the date the case commenced, and provide a list of proceedings in the case. Entries also provide the date of the final order. Orders are found in GR-2876, and an index to the cause books can be found in GR-3743

British Columbia. Supreme Court (Victoria)

Victoria County Court criminal record books

  • GR-1924
  • Series
  • 1888-1990

County Courts had jurisdiction in criminal cases held without a jury under the provision of the federal Speedy Trials Act, first enacted in 1888.

British Columbia. County Court (Victoria)

Vancouver Island Supreme Court of Civil Justice bench book

  • GR-2032
  • Series
  • 1853-1856

Series consists of one bench book for Colony of Vancouver Island Supreme Court of Civil Justice civil and criminal cases heard by Judge David Cameron at Fort Victoria from November 1853 to January 1856 and one criminal case at Nanaimo in May 1854. It also includes civil cases heard at Victoria in the Inferior Court of Civil Justice in 1856. The volume additionally served as a criminal record book for 1853, a cause book for 1856, and a Registrar's record book for 1853. It opens with a notation that Judge Cameron's commission was read and that he took his seat on 6 October 1853. The Registrar also notes that he received the court seal from Judge Cameron.

Vancouver Island. Supreme Court of Civil Justice

Plaint and procedure books

  • GR-2716
  • Series
  • 1857-1867

Plaint and procedure books. Volume 1 contains a guide for several court orders.

Vancouver Island (Colony). Inferior Court of Civil Justice

Deed Poll

  • GR-2723
  • Series
  • 1930-1940

Name changes by deed poll. Documents arranged alphabetically and indexed by present name from previous name.

British Columbia. Supreme Court (Victoria)

Victoria bankruptcy orders

  • GR-2876
  • Series
  • 1920-1994

The series consists of bankruptcy orders issued by the Supreme Court in Victoria between 1920 and 1978, 1981 to 1989, and 1992 to 1994. Records for the period 1920 and 1978 are indexed, however, indexes have not been located for the later records.

Records in this series were organized by filing date.

British Columbia. Supreme Court (Victoria)

Victoria Appeal Court case files

  • GR-3721
  • Series
  • 1980-1990

The series consists of case files created by the Victoria Court of Appeal between 1980 and 1990. The Appeal Court is the highest court in the province, and hears appeals from both the Supreme Court and the Provincial Court. Records in this series are arranged numerically. Until 1984, the Court used a system of file numbers that started from 1 and refreshed every year. Records dating from 1985 onwards use a sequential “V” number that was a continual running number that did not refresh each year.

The Court of Appeal is constituted by the Court of Appeal Act (RSBC 1996, c. 77). The Court of Appeal is headed by the Chief Justice of BC and includes 14 other justices and several supernumerary justices.

British Columbia. Court of Appeal (Victoria)

Victoria Supreme Court divorce cause books and case record cards

  • GR-3738
  • Series
  • 1968-1989

The series consists of cause books and case record cards for divorces at the Victoria Supreme Court between 1968 and 1989. Cause books and case records cards can be used to find a volume and folio number, which can then be used to obtain a copy of the final divorce order. Cause books and case record cards are also often the only source of information for divorce cases that were dropped and never completed, as no final order would have been granted, and case files would have been destroyed.

Cause books were generally used until the mid 1970s. They were replaced by case cards, which were used until the courts turned to digital systems in the 1990s. The records are organized by case file number and provide a list of actions in a case.

British Columbia. Supreme Court (Victoria)

Victoria Supreme Court divorce cause book/case card indexes

  • GR-3739
  • Series
  • 1965-1989

The series consists of indexes to divorce cause books and case cards created by the Supreme Court of Victoria between 1965 and 1989. The indexes are arranged alphabetically and provide a case file number. This can then be used to locate the volume and folio number in the relevant cause book or case card, which can then in turn be used to obtain a copy of the divorce order.

British Columbia. Supreme Court (Victoria)

Victoria Supreme Court bankruptcy indexes

  • GR-3743
  • Series
  • 1920-1990

The series consists of several different indexes relating to bankruptcy in Victoria and across the country. The records were maintained in the Victoria Supreme Court, and although they generally relate to records created in the 1960s to 1990s, at least one volume dates to the 1920s and 1930s. Early indexes are arranged alphabetically by the surname of the bankrupt individual. Later indexes, particularly those dealing with the late 1980s, are divided first by year and then arranged alphabetically. The 1989 to 1990 index provides the name of the individual, the name of the trustee, and a file number. All file numbers appear to refer to cause book entries, which give a more detailed account of proceedings in the case.

The series also consists of a subseries of records maintained by the Victoria Supreme Court that relate to bankruptcy cases heard outside of Victoria. Many of these volumes index entries in the Canada Gazette, and list individuals in Ontario and across the country. There are also several volumes that index bankruptcies across the province, and include entries from places such as Barriere, Penticton, and Rossland.

British Columbia. Supreme Court (Victoria)

Vancouver Island court records and indexes

  • GR-3758
  • Series
  • 1866-1867

The series consists of records created by the Vancouver Island courts of civil justice between approximately 1866 and 1867. The index records in this series appear to be drafts of an index to civil suits, and cases mentioned in this rough index appear in volume 3 of GR-2716 (plaint and procedure books from the Vancouver Island Inferior Court of Civil Justice). The index is not complete.

Several of the index pages were written on the back of records belonging to the probate file of Emilia Fedaro (also spelled Fidaro), who died in 1867 or 1868. The probate pages include the granting of letters of administration to Robert Newell, as well as what appears to be a draft of a covering page to the probate file.

Vancouver Island (Colony). Inferior Court of Civil Justice

Index book

  • GR-3761
  • Series
  • [1882-1885]

The series consists of one index book that may have been created by the Victoria Supreme Court as an index to probate cause books during the 1880s. The majority of the individuals listed died in British Columbia between the years of approximately 1882 to 1885. The vast majority of these deaths took place in the vicinity of Victoria and many of the individuals are listed in GR-1304. The index provides the name of the individual and a page number, which likely corresponds to a probate cause book that has yet to be located and transferred to the Archives. Individuals listed in the book are both male and female, and the listings include the names of Chinese, Japanese, and Indigenous individuals

British Columbia. Supreme Court (Victoria)