Superior Court of Québec

The Superior Court has jurisdiction throughout Québec and sits in all judicial districts.

In civil matters, the Superior Court hears:

• cases in which the amount at issue is at least $100,000;
• applications where the amount claimed is between $75,000.00 and $99,999.99 (rather than in the Court of Quebec, at the applicant’s choice);
• class actions;
• cases involving the probate of wills and the homologation of mandates given in the event of incapacity;
• applications for injunctions to stop harmful activities;
• except in certain cases provided for by law, cases involving the judicial review of decisions made by courts in Québec other than the Court of Appeal, or made by public bodies in Québec.

In family matters, the Superior Court may hear and rule on cases such as:

• divorce applications;
• applications for review of corollary relief in a divorce or legal separation;
• custody and support applications concerning a child born or adopted before June 30, 2025, whose parents are de facto spouses and did not form a parental union after June 30, 2025. In such a case, any application the parents wish to file concerning partition of the patrimonial rights arising from their community of life can be attached and heard in the Superior Court;
• child custody and support applications concerning a child whose parents have never been spouses;
• applications by a child of full age to claim or modify support payments from parents who are not or have not been in a civil union or parental union;
• applications for emancipation, legal tutorship or suppletive tutorship that are not related to a parental or civil union application by the parents;
• parental authority applications concerning a child whose parents are not and have not been in a civil or parental union;
• applications claiming or contesting the filiation of a child not born of a parental project involving surrogacy;

The Superior Court hears any application that does not come under the exclusive jurisdiction of another court.

It may hear criminal cases such as:

• criminal cases heard automatically before judge and jury, such as those involving murder or treason;
• other cases in which the accused elects trial by judge and jury;
• matters of extraordinary recourse, for example when a person is unlawfully detained in custody, or when the legality of a search warrant is challenged.

Like the Court of Appeal, the Superior Court hears some appeals from decisions:

• rendered under the Criminal Code by a judge in the Youth Division or the Criminal and Penal Division of the Court of Québec, by a municipal court judge or by a justice of the peace;
• concerning summary offences;
• made under other federal and provincial statutes.

Law and jurisdiction

• Law : Courts of Justice Act
• Jurisdiction in civil and criminal matters