Ceremony to mark the opening of the judicial year
The Supreme Court of Canada held a ceremony today, Oct. 5, 2026, marking the opening of the judicial year, presided by the Chief Justice of Canada and attended by justice system leaders across Canada. The Court revived this tradition last year for the 150th anniversary of the Court.
This morning’s ceremony took place at the Court’s new temporary home in the West Memorial Building at 344 Wellington Street in Ottawa, next door to the iconic Supreme Court of Canada building at 301 Wellington Street which is currently undergoing a 10-year restoration project. Many of the justices presently on the bench will meet the mandatory retirement age before the Court’s operations return to 301 Wellington.
During the ceremony, the Chief Justice highlighted the architectural features of the Court’s new home, including nine oak arches representing the nine justices of the Supreme Court, as well as a sky light and chandelier in the building’s main lobby representing Court openness and the country’s northern identity. He also spoke about the Court’s case load and noted that by the end of the fall session, the Court will have heard 60 appeals in 2026, which would be the highest since the onset of the pandemic in 2020.1 The ceremony was also attended by newly-appointed Justice Glenn D. Joyal, who was sworn in as a Supreme Court justice on July 15, 2026, and will be formally welcomed through a ceremony to take place later this month.
Upcoming cases in fall 2026
The Court has released its hearing schedule for fall 2026. BLG lawyers will be appearing in 3 appeals during the fall sittings:
- Atlantic Lottery Corporation, et al. v. Attorney General of Ontario (42141), a reference brought by Ontario asking whether its iGaming model would remain lawful under the Criminal Code if Ontario implemented a proposed model to allow Ontario players to participate in games and pooled liquidity with players outside of Canada. Graeme A. Hamilton and Teagan Markin will be appearing for the interveners, NSUS Group Inc. and NSUS Limited, at the hearing scheduled for October 7, 2026.
- Canadian Coalition for Firearm Rights, et al. v. Attorney General of Canada (41859), dealing with challenges to federal regulations prohibiting classes of firearms under the Criminal Code brought by firearm owners, businesses, shooting organizations, and advocacy groups. Guy J. Pratte, Nadia Effendi and Matthew Schneider will appear for the intervener, Attorney General of Alberta, at the hearing scheduled for November 9-10, 2026.
- Canadian National Railway Company v Alberta Pacific Forest Industries Inc. (42092), a judicial review from the Canadian Transportation Agency which deals with the constitutional right to judicial review and its interaction with the doctrine of adequate alternative remedies in federal regulatory schemes governed by the Federal Courts Act. Guy J. Pratte, Nadia Effendi and Teagan Markin will appear for the appellant, Canadian National Railway Company, at the hearing scheduled for November 12, 2026.
Some of the other significant upcoming cases to watch this fall at the Supreme Court include:
- NHK Spring Co., Ltd., et al. v. Tony Cheung, et al. (41451), which will address Canadian courts’ jurisdiction to grant damages arising from an alleged foreign price-fixing conspiracy under the Canadian Competition Act in relation to losses experienced by Canadian customers and business. (Hearing scheduled for October 8, 2026)
- Ontario Place Protectors v. His Majesty the King in Right of Ontario and Attorney General of Ontario (41805), a constitutional challenge to Ontario legislation granting broad Crown immunity against civil claims and remedies in relation to Ontario’s redevelopment of Ontario Place in Toronto. (Hearing scheduled for October 15, 2026)
- H.N. v. Board of Education of School District No. 61 (Greater Victoria), et al. (41910), revisiting the framework for vicarious liability in considering whether a school board can be held vicariously liable for sexual abuse committed by a volunteer tutor that occurred years later during private visits at the tutor’s home. (Hearing scheduled for November 13, 2026)
- GCT Canada Limited Partnership v. International Longshore and Warehouse Union Ship and Dock Foremen, Local 514 (41951), a judicial review from a labour complaint relating to the employer’s inspection of vessels it did not own, which raises issues about the application of vertical stare decisis to administrative tribunals. (Hearing scheduled for December 3, 2026)
- Attorney General of Quebec v. Vasil Petrishki, et al. (42018), which raises whether special clerks and registrars appointed under the Bankruptcy and Insolvency Act perform judicial functions that attract the protections of judicial independence under the Quebec Charter of human rights and freedoms and the Constitution Act, 1867. (Hearing scheduled for December 9, 2026)
For more information, reach out to our team
BLG is home to the largest Appellate Advocacy practice in Canada, with offices in Toronto, Ottawa, Vancouver, Calgary and Montréal. For questions about Supreme Court of Canada or other appellate matters, please reach out to one of the team members below.
