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Archival description
Only top-level descriptions Court records--British Columbia
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Victoria Supreme Court civil orders

  • GR-1566
  • Series
  • 1880-2008

The series consists of civil orders issued by the Supreme Court in Victoria between 1880 and 2008. Orders dating from 1880 until December 1946 were microfilmed and the originals destroyed. Records after this period are maintained in their original form. Many, but not all, volumes dating up to the late 1970s include nominal indexes. Orders are the formal expression of the ruling of the court. The records relate to a variety of civil matters including adoptions, divorces, and bankruptcies.

The records were scheduled for full retention under Court Services ORCS (schedule 100152) 51400-25.

British Columbia. Supreme Court (Victoria)

Vancouver Supreme Court civil orders

  • GR-2011
  • Series
  • 1944-1976; 1980-2006

The series consists of Vancouver Supreme Court civil orders between 1944-1976 and 1980-2005. Orders dating from April 1944 until December 1945 were microfilmed and the originals destroyed. Between ca. 1980 until 1994, civil orders were separated into different series by the court registry: statutes (“A”), motor vehicle (“B”), general civil (“C”), and foreclosures (“H”). Beginning July 1994, civil orders and judgements were once again combined into a single series of numbered volumes prefixed by the letter “S”.

The records are arranged within volumes by folio number. They were scheduled for full retention under Court Services ORCS (schedule 100152) 51400-25.

British Columbia. Supreme Court (Vancouver)

New Westminster Supreme Court orders and judgements

  • GR-2018
  • Series
  • 1940-1945, 1948-2004

This series contains New Westminster Supreme Court orders from January 1940 to May 1945 and January 1948 to December 2004 (predominantly up to April 2001). Orders are the formal expression of the ruling of the court and judgements are the final orders issued in a case. Records relate to a variety of civil matters including divorces, bankruptcies, foreclosures, probates, and some adoptions.

Records are arranged by volume and folio number as assigned by the court registry. Beginning in May 1950, orders and judgements were separated and volume numbers 49-108 are duplicated. Beginning in March 1976, orders and judgements are interfiled. Between October 1990 and December 2004, orders, default judgements, certificates, and determinations related to financial cases were separated into their own volumes, 148-204, once again creating duplicated volume numbers. Researchers are encouraged to check volume numbers against dates when searching for specific records. Most, but not all, volumes include indexes or volume file lists. However, beginning in July 1990, volumes include a file list by case number only. The records were scheduled for full retention under Court Services ORCS (schedule 100152) 51400-25.

British Columbia. Supreme Court (New Westminster)

Supreme Court civil and criminal notable cases

  • GR-3658
  • Series
  • 1994-2003

The records were created in an attempt to retain summary information regarding notable cases of both civil and criminal matters across BC. The copies appear to have been made by the head of Information Services at the BC Courthouse Library Society for the BC Archives. As the Library did not have access to the case files themselves, many of the records are copies of reasons for judgment or entries in the Dominion Law Reports or Western Weekly Reports. Many original case files relating to post-1950 matters have been destroyed. The series contains records relating to cases heard between 1950 and 2003, and the copies appear to have been created around 2003.

The records are arranged by case year. Some years span several files.

British Columbia. Supreme Court (Vancouver)

Duncan Supreme Court civil orders

  • GR-3712
  • Series
  • 1950-2002

The series consists of civil orders created in the Supreme Court in Duncan between 1950 and 2002. Orders are a formal expression of the court’s will, and orders in this series cover a variety of issues, including adoption and divorce.

The series is arranged by volume, and then by folio. From volumes 1 to 48, the volume and folio numbers are provided on the records themselves. After volume 48, this information is not always provided. Sometimes the records bear file numbers which appear to be sequential and which restart every year. Sometimes even these numbers are not listed on the records and the only way to identify them is by filing date.
The dates listed in the file list are derived from the date on which the order was filed. Although the filing date for the majority of the records corresponds closely to when the order was issued, this is not always the case, and there are instances in which orders were filed months after being issued.

Originally the majority of the files were arranged in binders based on volume number. If an index existed for the volume, it would be placed in the front of the binder. For space and preservation reasons, the records have been removed from the binders and placed in acid-free folders. Records from binders tend to span two folders, which are linked by volume number. The first of the two binders will house the index for the entire volume, if one was included.

British Columbia. Supreme Court (Duncan)

Vanderhoof Supreme and County Court orders and reasons for judgement

  • GR-3716
  • Series
  • 1977-2002

The series consists of civil orders and reasons for judgement created by the Supreme and County courts of Vanderhoof between 1977 and 2002. Orders from Supreme and County courts have frequently been interfiled together. The records deal with a variety of civil matters, including adoption, divorce, granting of letters probate, and foreclosures. Civil orders represent the formal expression of the court’s will, whereas the reasons for judgement provide the rationale for the court’s decision. The series includes a number of certified copies of probates, the originals of which are awaiting transfer to the BC Archives as of September 2018. These probates date to the 1990s and early 2000s.

Records in this series were arranged in various ways, including by court registry file number and by volume and folio number. In some instances, the folio and volume number have been reversed on the orders themselves.

Records have been managed and retained under the Court Services ORCS (schedule 100152) 51400-25.

British Columbia. County Court (Vanderhoof)

Fernie Supreme Court orders

  • GR-3720
  • Series
  • 1983-2002

The series consists of orders from the Supreme Court in Fernie. The orders date from 1983 to 2002 and the series is largely composed of divorce orders. There is one folder of adoption orders and one of general court orders, which also includes orders related to probates and estates. Divorce orders were originally arranged by volume and folio number, but this system appears to have changed in 1999 and the records were subsequently arranged by filing date. Researchers should note that there is sometimes a gap between the date the order is issued and the date it is filed. Other orders appear to be arranged by filing date.

British Columbia. Supreme Court (Fernie)

Creston Supreme Court probate case files

  • GR-4246
  • Series
  • 1983-2002

Series consists of probate case files created between 1983 and 2002 by the Creston Supreme Court. Case files may include a Letters Probate (Form A) or a Letters of Administration (Grant of Probate); will; notice(s); list of assets, liabilities, and distribution; certificate of wills search; affidavit(s); and/or praecipe(s).

Records are arranged by file number. The records were scheduled for full retention under Court Services ORCS (schedule 100152) 51460-20.

British Columbia. Supreme Court (Creston)

Fernie Supreme and County Court civil orders and reasons for judgement

  • GR-4162
  • Series
  • 1978-2001

The series consists of original civil orders, judgements, and reasons for judgement created between 1978 and 2001 by the Fernie Supreme Court and County Court registry. Orders are the formal expression of the ruling of the court, judgements are the final orders issued in a case, and reasons for judgement provide the court's rationale. The records relate to a variety of civil matters including divorces, bankruptcies, and some adoptions. In the later years of this series, adoptions were removed and filed separately.

From 1978 to August 1999, the records are arranged by volume and folio number as assigned by the court registry. Beginning September 1999, they are arranged chronologically. The records were scheduled for full retention under Court Services ORCS (schedule 100152) 51400-25.

British Columbia. Supreme Court (Fernie)

Creston Supreme Court civil orders and reasons for judgement

  • GR-3637
  • Series
  • 1953-2001

Series consists of civil orders and judgements from the Supreme Court of Creston for 1953-2001, including divorces.

Orders and judgements are interfiled. Although most divorces are interfiled, the series also includes one file of divorce orders that were either removed from their original volumes or were maintained separately.

British Columbia. Supreme Court (Creston)

Kamloops Supreme Court divorce orders, judgements, and reasons for judgement

  • GR-4177
  • Series
  • 1981-2001, predominant 1981-1999

The series consists of original divorce orders, judgements and reasons for judgements created between 1981 and 2001 by the Kamloops Supreme Court registry. Between 1968 and 1985, a judgement by way of decree nisi required a three-month waiting period before a judgement by way of decree absolute could be applied for. During this time, a divorce was not legally in effect without a decree absolute. After 1985, divorce orders automatically came into effect 31 days after the divorce was granted, barring an appeal. Reasons for judgment are available for some, but not all, divorces.

Between 1981-1985, the records are arranged by file number and there may be several records with the same file number grouped together, each with different entered dates. The years listed in the attached finding aid appear to be based on the date that a divorce was first initiated, but this is not verifiable or consistent across the records. Starting in late 1985, the records are arranged by volume and file number, and dates used in the finding aid are the court registry’s entered date. Reasons for judgement from 1991-2001 have been arranged separately, by file number, within box 27. A nominal finding aid for only those reasons for judgement is available at the end of the attached file list. The records were scheduled for full retention under Court Services ORCS (schedule 100152) 51440-25.

British Columbia. Supreme Court (Kamloops)

Merritt Supreme and County Court civil orders and judgements

  • GR-4191
  • Series
  • 1951-2000

The series consists of original civil orders and judgements created between 1951 and 2000 by the Merritt Supreme Court and County Court registries. Orders are the formal expression of the ruling of the court and judgements are the final orders issued in a case. Records relate to a variety of civil matters including divorces, probates, foreclosures, and some adoptions.

Records are arranged by volume and folio number as assigned by the court registry. Orders and judgements are interfiled. The records were scheduled for full retention under Court Services ORCS (schedule 100152) 51400-25.

British Columbia. County Court (Merritt)

Kamloops Supreme Court orders and judgements

  • GR-2451
  • Series
  • 1881-2000

The series consists of civil orders and reasons for judgement created between 1881 and 2000. Early records are from the Yale district, although the majority of records in the series relate specifically to Kamloops. The records are largely arranged chronologically by filing date, which can sometimes be several months after the order was issued in court. Between 1954 and 1973, orders were arranged by volume and folio numbers. Records were compiled into volumes based on filing date. Each folio is comprised of one order. The Archives does not currently have records for the period 1974 to 1982. Between 1983 and the late 1980s, some civil orders were filed by a sequential number. From the late 1980s onwards, the court filing system returned to using volumes and folios; however the volume number began again at 1. Many of the volumes contain indexes.

Civil orders are the formal expression of the ruling of the court and reasons for judgement provide the court's rationale. The records relate to a variety of civil matters, including adoption orders.

British Columbia. Supreme Court (Kamloops)

Vancouver Supreme Court wills

  • GR-3672
  • Series
  • 1986-1999

The series consists of original copies of wills that were probated in the Vancouver registry. The wills were removed from the original probate files and refiled in a separate accession by registry staff. The records are arranged by probate number, an index to which can be found in GR-2991 and with Archives staff.

British Columbia. Supreme Court (Vancouver)

Cranbrook Supreme and County Court civil orders

  • GR-3704
  • Series
  • 1955-1999

Series consists of civil orders from both the Supreme and County Courts of Cranbrook for 1955-1999. Civil orders represent the formal expression of the ruling of the court. Records relate to a variety of civil matters including divorces, bankruptcies, foreclosures, and some adoptions.

Records from the Supreme and County levels were interfiled together and are arranged by volume and folio number. Records of varying types have been interfiled, except when probate orders were separated into their own files between 1973-1974.

British Columbia. Supreme Court (Cranbrook)

Vancouver Supreme Court probate/estate files

  • GR-2991
  • Series
  • 1966-1999

Series consists of Vancouver Supreme Court probate/estate files for 1966-1999.

Records are arranged by file number (i.e., P-93200 to 227369). Dates in file list are filing date, not the date of death. For records on microfilm, original textual records were destroyed after microfilming. The records were scheduled for full retention under Court Services ORCS (schedule 100152) 51460-20.

British Columbia. Supreme Court (Vancouver)

Richmond Supreme Court divorce orders

  • GR-4180
  • Series
  • 1974-1998

The series consists of original decrees nisi, decrees absolute, divorce orders, and a judgement created between 1974 and 1998 by the Richmond Supreme Court registry. Between 1968 and 1985, a judgement by way of decree nisi required a three-month waiting period before a judgement by way of decree absolute could be applied for. During this time, a divorce was not legally in effect without a decree absolute. After 1985, divorce orders automatically came into effect 31 days after the divorce was granted, barring an appeal.

The records are separated into decrees nisi, decrees absolute, and orders and then arranged by volume and folio numbers, as assigned by the Court Registry. The series also includes a single judgement from 1975. The records were scheduled for full retention under Court Services ORCS (schedule 100152) 51440-25.

British Columbia. Supreme Court (Richmond)

Ashcroft Supreme Court divorce orders

  • GR-4250
  • Series
  • 1950-1958, 1971-1997

Series consists of original decrees nisi, decrees absolute, and divorce orders created between 1950-1958 and 1971-1997 by the Ashcroft Supreme Court registry. Between 1968 and 1985, a judgement by way of decree nisi required a three-month waiting period before a judgement by way of decree absolute could be applied for. During this time, a divorce was not legally in effect without a decree absolute. After 1985, divorce orders automatically came into effect 31 days after the divorce was granted, barring an appeal.

Decrees nisi and decrees absolute are filed together and arranged by case number, not by volume and folio or by date. This means that records of varying dates are interfiled. From 1950-1978, case file numbers were assigned chronologically and include the year a divorce was initiated. For example, no. 1/71 was the first divorce initiated in 1971, no. 1/72 was the first divorce of 1972, and so on. Starting in 1979, case file numbers continued sequentially across years from no. 14 in 1979 to no. 82 in 1997. The records were scheduled for full retention under Court Services ORCS (schedule 100152) 51440-25.

British Columbia. Supreme Court (Ashcroft)

Ashcroft Supreme Court wills

  • GR-3530
  • Series
  • 1986-1997

Series consists of wills from the Supreme Court at Ashcroft. Wills are arranged by file number and date from 1986-1997. This number is the same as the file number in GR-1952 (Ashcroft probate/estate files). Not all individuals listed in the probate file list have an accompanying will.

British Columbia. Supreme Court (Ashcroft)

Ashcroft Supreme Court, County Court, and Small Claims Court civil orders/reasons for judgement

  • GR-3531
  • Series
  • 1974-1997

Series consists of civil orders and reasons for judgement from the Supreme Court, County Court, and Small Claims Court in Ashcroft. The series includes divorce records interfiled with other court orders. Records from the various level of court are interfiled. The series includes a small number of records that were originally filed at the Kamloops registry before being transferred to Ashcroft.

British Columbia. Supreme Court (Ashcroft)

Prince George Supreme and County Court index to civil orders and judgements

  • GR-4157
  • Series
  • 1984-1996

The series consists of an index to civil orders and judgements created between 1984 and 1996 by the Prince George Supreme and County Courts. Entries provide a file number, the style of cause (including names of plaintiffs and defendants), a description of the order and/or judgement, and volume and folio numbers, which can be used to located associated orders and judgements found in GR-4156 (1965-1989). The index relates to orders and judgments on a variety of civil matters including divorces, bankruptcies, foreclosures, and some adoptions.

The index is arranged by file number. The records were scheduled for full retention under Court Services ORCS (schedule 100152) 51400-25.

British Columbia. County Court (Prince George)

Kelowna Supreme Court divorce orders

  • GR-4183
  • Series
  • 1977-1996; predominantly 1977-1986

The series consists of original decrees nisi, decrees absolute, and divorce orders created between 1977 and 1996 (predominantly between 1977-1986) by the Kelowna Supreme Court registry. Between 1968 and 1985, a judgement by way of decree nisi required a three-month waiting period before a judgement by way of decree absolute could be applied for. During this time, a divorce was not legally in effect without a decree absolute. After 1985, divorce orders automatically came into effect 31 days after the divorce was granted, barring an appeal.

Decrees nisi and decrees absolute are filed together and arranged by case number, not by volume and folio or by date. This means that records of varying dates are interfiled. Orders transferred to the Kelowna registry from other court registries within the province were not assigned a Kelowna case file number and are filed alphabetically by last name at the end of this series. The records were scheduled for full retention under Court Services ORCS (schedule 100152) 51440-25.

British Columbia. Supreme Court (Kelowna)

Prince George Supreme Court divorce indexes

  • GR-3741
  • Series
  • 1968-1996

The series consists of indexes to divorces issued by the Prince George Supreme Court between 1968 and 1996. The records in accession 83-1593 are arranged alphabetically by surname, and include a column for the wife’s forenames, the husband’s forenames, and the file number. Please note that the file number provided is the “5927” number issued by the Central Divorce Registry. An entry in the index can then be used to locate the relevant cause book or case record card entry, which will then list a volume and folio number. The volume and folio, in turn, can then be used to obtain a copy of the divorce order. Records in accession 83-1104 are arranged by Central Divorce Registry number, and show this file number, the style of cause, a description of the order issued (decree nisi, decree absolute, change of name, custody order, etc) as well as the relevant volume and folio numbers.

British Columbia. Supreme Court (Prince George)

Salmon Arm civil orders

  • GR-3742
  • Series
  • 1980-1995

The series consists of civil court orders issued by the Salmon Arm Supreme Court and the County Court of Yale holden at Salmon Arm between 1980 and 1995. Orders are a formal expression of the court’s will, and orders in this series cover a variety of civil issues, including adoptions, foreclosures, family maintenance, divorce, letters of administration, consent orders, and will disputes.

When the records arrived at the Archives, some were loose and others were housed in Shannon folders. The records in the first box and most of the second had no discernible order. Archives staff arranged the orders by the order number in the upper right corner. Once records began to be arranged by volume and folio number, a sense of original order became apparent for the remainder of the records. The date provided in the file list is based on the date of filing.

The series also consists of two orders from the County and Supreme Courts of Vancouver. At least one was ordered transferred to Salmon Arm, but as the Vancouver records were loose, it was impossible to create any linkage between existing Salmon Arm records and the Vancouver transfers. These Vancouver records can be found at the end of box 830539-0004.

British Columbia. Supreme Court (Salmon Arm)

Revelstoke Supreme and County Court civil orders

  • GR-3753
  • Series
  • 1953-1995

The series consists of civil court orders issued by the Revelstoke Supreme Court and the County Court of Yale between 1953 and 1995. Orders are a formal expression of the court’s will, and orders in this series cover a variety of civil issues, including adoptions, foreclosures, family maintenance, divorce, letters of administration, consent orders, and will disputes.

The records arrived at the Archives in shannon folders, and were placed in acid-free folders. Researchers should note that Revelstoke appears to have restarted numbering volumes from 1 at the beginning of each year, with the result that there are multiple volume 1s. Researchers should use the volume and folio numbers in conjunction with the year of the order they are looking for.

British Columbia. Supreme Court (Revelstoke)

Vancouver Supreme Court indexes to cause books and case record cards

  • GR-1704
  • Series
  • 1893-1994

This series consists of indexes from 1893 to 1994 for Vancouver Supreme Court civil cause books and case record cards found within GR-1608 (1893-1975, 1986-1994). Indexes were created by the Vancouver Supreme Court registry.

Over time, index entries vary and may be searchable by type of case, by only the name of the plaintiff, or by either the name of the plaintiff or the defendant. Records were scheduled for full retention under Court Services ORCS (schedule 100152) 51400-25.

British Columbia. Supreme Court (Vancouver)

Vancouver Supreme Court divorce indexes

  • GR-1586
  • Series
  • 1893-1994

The series consists of indexes for divorces at the Vancouver Supreme Court between 1893 and 1994. Entries may provide a case number, which can be used to locate an associated record within a cause book or case record card. Entries may also provide a volume and folio number, which can be used to obtain a copy of the final divorce order.

Over time, index entries vary and may be searchable by only the name of the plaintiff or by either the name of the plaintiff or the defendant. The records were scheduled for full retention under Court Services ORCS (schedule 100152) 53200-20.

British Columbia. Supreme Court (Vancouver)

Vancouver Supreme Court divorce cause books and case record cards

  • GR-3737
  • Series
  • 1946-1994

The series consists of cause books and case record cards for divorces in the Vancouver Supreme Court between 1946 and 1994. Cause books and case records cards can be used to determine 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 used by the courts until approximately the mid-1970s. They were replaced by case record cards, which were used until the courts turned to digital systems in the 1990s. Cause books are arranged chronologically, and case record cards are arranged by case number. Cause book and case record card entries typically include the date of filing, the date and place of marriage, the names of the parties and their solicitors, and an account of the case proceedings. The records were scheduled for full retention under Court Services ORCS (schedule 100152) 53200-20.

British Columbia. Supreme Court (Vancouver)

Assistant Deputy Minister of Court Services Branch records

  • GR-3931
  • Series
  • 1973-1994

This series consists of executive records of the Court Services Branch, including those of the Assistant Deputy Minister, Ministry of the Attorney General. Records range in date from 1973-1994. This includes operational and administrative files from the Court Services Headquarters in Victoria and may relate to all court registries throughout BC.

The majority of records consist of correspondence, minutes, reference material, forms, drafts, legislation, and manuals. The first two accessions are arranged according to a Court Services specific file code system.

Files may regard: legislation drafting, amending or reference; circulars; news releases and clippings; statistics; executive correspondence referral replies or complaints, many related to issues with members of the public obtaining copies of documents or other services from Court Services; liaison and co-operation with other political bodies; creation of forms; administrative records related to staffing and appointments; wrongful imprisonment; staff errors and complaints against staff; escape incident case files; escort and security procedures; registry policy and procedures including their development, legal requirements and circulation to all registries; Family Court procedures, including the enforcement of Family Maintenance orders; personal property and debt collection case files; executions and serving of documents including procedures, complaints and staff appointments; interpleader files and actions against sheriffs; and, subject files on a variety of topics.

There are also many committee and meeting records, including those of Court Services Policy Board, Board of Sheriffs, Regional Court Administrators, Board of District Managers, Court Services Advisory Board, Court Services Status of Women Committee, Ministerial Case Management Evaluation Task Force Committee, Victim Assistance Committee, Justice Institute, Corrections Branch, Executive Policy Board, Canadian Bar Association, BC Association of Chiefs of Police, and various committees reviewing legislation and planning its implementation.

Files in accession 92-4831 were created from the mid-1980s on and utilize a different file system known as the Operational Records Classification System (ORCS) and Administrative Records Classification System (ARCS). These records relate to IT projects, budgets, various committee files, and the procedural analysis of the Provincial Family Court and Family Maintenance Enforcement Program (FMEP).

The Ministry responsible for these records and associated dates are:

British Columbia. Ministry of Attorney General (1979-)
British Columbia. Ministry of the Attorney-General (1976-1979)
British Columbia. Dept. of the Attorney-General (1871-1976)

British Columbia. Court Services

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