The Supreme Court of Canada at 150

On November 18, 1875, the Supreme Court of Canada was ceremonially inaugurated with a banquet at Rideau Hall hosted by the governor general of the day, Lord Dufferin. He toasted the six newly sworn justices by remarking that the establishment of the high court of the land “marks another epoch in the history of the Dominion; it exhibits another proof and pledge of the stability of our Confederation, and of the solidifying process which has knit into a homogeneous and patriotic community, the inhabitants of what a few years ago were the scattered districts of Great Britain’s North American possessions.” The 150th anniversary of the Supreme Court of Canada in 2025 invites reflection on the impact of its most influential rulings, analysis of its strengths and weaknesses, and assessments of its overall role in shaping Canadian society and identity. The occasion also offers a timely opportunity to compare Canada’s top court with that of other countrie – particularly its nearest neighbour, where the U.S. Supreme Court is so deeply enmeshed in partisan politics – and to consider the inherent tensions between political and judicial power in Canada, along with the levels of trust Canadians have in the apex body of their justice system.