Richards Court
| Richards Court | |
|---|---|
established ←
| |
William Buell Richards in 1877. | |
| October 8, 1875 – January 11, 1879 (3 years, 95 days) | |
| Seat | various rooms in the Parliament buildings |
| No. of positions | 6 |
The Richards Court refers to the period in the history of the Supreme Court of Canada from 1875 to 1879, during which William Buell Richards served as Chief Justice of Canada. Richards was appointed the first Chief Justice by Prime Minister Alexander Mackenzie following the establishment of the Supreme Court in 1875.
Like all iterations of the Supreme Court before 1949, the Richards Court was largely overshadowed by the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council, which served as Canada's highest court of appeal. Its decisions on Canadian appeals were binding on all Canadian courts.
The Richards Court was marked by controversy surrounding the Court's creation, concerns about the conduct of its justices, the length and lack of clarity in its decisions, and significant delays in the publication of those decisions.