Indexing Queries allows a user to query the Federal Court of Appeal database of indexed cases using the internet. You can search the database using one of four methods: by Court Number, by Party Information, by Intellectual Property or by Related Cases. The results of each query appear on the screen with a hyperlink on the Court Number that opens a new window called Additional Information. The Additional Information window contains more information about the selected court number.

Note that only one new window opens when clicking the Help or Additional Information links. The information displayed within this window reflects the last link you clicked (i.e. the Help or Additional Information screen) and overwrites the previous information.

To perform a different type of search (e.g. Party Information instead of Court Number) you must first select and load that type of search in the SEARCH BY box. Using the drop down arrow, first choose your search type and then press [Select] to load the new search.

The information provided in and obtained from this indexing database does not constitute the official record of the Courts, and as such, the Federal Court of Appeal, the Federal Court and the Courts Administration Service cannot and do not warrant its accuracy. The information contained herein is provided as a service to the public and for the purposes of information only.

Despite the considerable care taken by the Registry in recording information on cases, the data may be subject to errors or omissions. Users agree that the Federal Court, the Federal Court of Appeal, and the Courts Administration Service, are not liable for errors or omissions, nor are they responsible for inaccuracies contained in any of the information provided. The Federal Court, Federal Court of Appeal and the Courts Administration Service are also not responsible for errors or insufficiencies in the wording of queries by the user of this service. Above all, the information provided should not be used as a substitute for advice of legal counsel.

Important: Due to the volume of material filed, and the processing time required, documents and information derived from them will not necessarily be entered in the database on the date that they are filed with the Court.

Enter the court number in the Court Number field to find a proceeding.

The format used for an action, application or appeal is: Letter – Number – Number

Example T-4-00 (a hyphen"-" must be inserted between the letter and numbers)

  Letter - represents the type of proceeding; the letters used are:
    A     Federal Court of Appeal
    T     Federal Court
    IMM   Federal Court (Immigration)
    GST   Goods and Services Tax (certificates)
    ITA   Income Tax Act (certificates)
    P     Pesticide Residue Compensation, Plant Protection, Health of Animals
  Number - the first number may be 1 to 5 digits in length
  Number - the second number represents the year the proceeding started and must be
           2 digits long e.g. 85 represents 1985, 00 represents 2000 etc
         
Examples
  A-123-02 is a Federal Court of Appeal matter commenced in 2002
  T-4-00 is a Federal Court matter commenced in 2000
  IMM-5009-99 is a Federal Court (Immigration) matter commenced in 1999
  
  
The format used for a preliminary* proceeding is: Number – Letter – Number
  *A preliminary proceeding is a notice of motion for leave to commence a proceeding
  or for an extension of time to commence a proceeding.
  
Example 89-A-43 (a hyphen"-" must be inserted between the number, letter and number)

  Number - two digit number represents the year the proceeding started
  Letter - represents the type of proceeding; the two letters used are:
    A     Federal Court of Appeal
    T     Federal Court
  Number - may be 1 to 5 digits in length
  
Examples
    89-A-43 is a Federal Court of Appeal matter commenced in 1989
    03-T-22 is a Federal Court matter commenced in 2003

No Exchequer Court or Court Martial Appeal Court proceedings are listed in the database.

Enter the name (or the number) of a Canadian:

  - copyright;
  - patent;
  - trade-mark;
  - industrial design; or
  - intergrated circuit topography;
  
in the Text field (or the Number field) to find a proceeding.

Examples - Text:

  A BUG'S LIFE
  FLIPPER
  YO-YO
  ZIPPER
  LE CREUSET

Intellectual property names are entered into the database in the same format as they
appear in the filed documents (i.e. entered with articles).

Examples - Number:

  24465
  411032
  2153347
  2166001

Note that this field contains only numbers. The numbers (which could include application
numbers, file numbers, filing numbers and registration numbers) are entered without
commas, spaces or hyphens, so 2,166,001 is indexed as 2166001.

Enter the name of a company (or  association; corporation; partnership etc.) or a person
in the Party Name field to find a proceeding.

If you are searching for a Ship use the Ship Name field.

Company:
  The word "and" is always entered as: "&".

  Articles (The, A) are not entered.

  Hyphens (-), commas (,) and periods (.) and multinational characters
  (À, Ç, É, È, Ê, Ë, Ñ etc.) are not entered.
  -To search for RJR-MacDonald enter RJR MACDONALD in Party Name field
  -for 2631-5622 Québec Inc. enter 2631 5622 QUEBEC

  Letters separated by spaces are entered without the spaces and initials are
  entered without periods.
  -To search for A B C Signs Limited enter ABC SIGNS in Party Name field
  -for W.P.M. Incorported enter  WPM

Person:
  The surname of an individual is entered first followed by a comma, space and the
  first name.
  -To search for Jean Lebel enter LEBEL, JEAN in Party Name field
  -or for all Lebels where first name begins with the letter J enter LEBEL, J
  -or for all Lebels enter LEBEL

  Hyphens (-), commas (,) and periods (.) and multinational characters
  (À, Ç, É, È, Ê, Ë, Ñ etc.) are not entered.
  -To search for Thérese Gagné-Angers enter ANGERS, THERESE GAGNE
  -or ANGERS, T

  Initials are entered without periods.
  -To search for H.S. Chahal enter CHAHAL, HS

  Where there are multiple or "two-part" surnames, the last surname is
  entered first followed by a comma, space, first name, "second" name
  -To search for John Brown-Smith enter SMITH, JOHN BROWN in Party Name field
  -for Ivan Van Dusen enter DUSEN, IVAN VAN
  -for Jean Jacques de Grandpré enter  GRANDPRE, JEAN JACQUES DE
  -for Jean Gaston Milot enter MILOT, JEAN GASTON

  However, to search for Guy St-Laurent enter ST LAURENT, GUY
  -for Jean Paul Ste-Marie enter STE MARIE, JEAN PAUL

  Titles in names are placed at the end of the name.
  -To search for Major Barry Armstrong, enter ARMSTRONG, BARRY (MAJOR) in Party Name
   field
  -for Dr. John Brown enter BROWN, JOHN (DR)
  -for Grand Chief Michael Mitchell enter MITCHELL, MICHAEL (GRAND CHIEF)

Ship:
  To search for The Ship "Atlantic Savior" enter ATLANTIC SAVIOR in the
  Ship Name field
  -or if spelling is uncertain (e.g Saviour / Savior) enter ATLANTIC SAVI
  -or to search for all ships beginning with the name Atlantic enter ATLANTIC

  Words that appear with the name of a ship such as "M.V.", "The Ship", "The"
  are not entered.
  -To search for The M/V "Activity" enter ACTIVITY in the Ship Name field
  -for M.V. "Talos" enter TALOS
  -for The Ship "Big Red Boat" enter BIG RED BOAT
  -for The Ship "Jolie Vie" entrer JOLIE VIE
  -for the Ship "GEAI BLEU" entrer GEAI BLEU

  Although they appear in the results page do not place quotations marks around
  the ship name in the search field.

Related cases are other Federal Court and Federal Court of Appeal proceedings that are known to be associated with a certain proceeding. For example, a case on appeal is a related case to the proceeding at first instance. Other examples of related cases are similar proceedings that the Court has consolidated or joined for purposes of hearing together at one time.

The Federal Court of Appeal, the Federal Court and the Courts Administration Service respect the Official Languages Act and relevant Treasury Board policies, and are committed to ensuring that information is available in both English and French.

Prior to the establishment of the Courts Administration Service on July 2, 2003, however, certain party names were entered in the former Federal Court of Canada indexing database in the English language only and / or by using common English-language abbreviations.

However, as of July 2003, all parties are now entered in the indexing system in the exact same format they are referred to in the proceeding's originating document. For instance, if the party is cited therein as the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, it is entered as such in the database. But if it is cited as CBC, then that is exactly how it is now recorded. This is also the case if it is cited as "Société Radio-Canada", or cited by the French-language abbreviation, "SRC".

For completeness of results, users conducting searches covering cases indexed after July 2, 2003, should ensure they perform separate parties' queries in both official languages. The following is a listing of some common parties with their English and French language names:

Canadian Broadcasting Corporation  or  Société Radio-Canada
Canadian Human Rights Commission  or  Commission canadienne des droits de la personne
Canadian National Railway  or  Canadien National
Canadian Pacific Railway  or  Canadien Pacifique
Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission  or  Conseil de la radiodiffusion et des télécommunications canadiennes
Minister  or  Ministre
Minister of Citizenship & Immigration  or  Ministre de la Citoyenneté et de l'immigration
Minister of National Revenue  or  Ministre du Revenu national
Public Service Commission  or  Commission de la fonction publique
Royal Canadian Mounted Police  or  Gendarmerie royale du Canada
Solicitor General of Canada  or  Solliciteur général du Canada

The following is a guide to some common translations and how they were entered in the indexing database prior to July, 2003:

Her Majesty the Queen; Her Majesty the Queen in Right of Canada; Sa Majesté la Reine; Sa Majesté la Reine du chef du Canada; R.; Regina; etc. all were entered as: THE QUEEN

Attorney General of Canada, Procureur Général du Canada, AGC, PGC, were all entered as ATTORNEY GENERAL.

Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, Société Radio-Canada, SRC, were all entered as CBC

Other commonly used abbreviations prior to July 2003 include:
  Canadian Human Rights Commission = CHRC    
  Canadian National Railway = CNR
  Canadian Pacific Railway = CPR
  Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission = CRTC
  Minister = MIN
  Minister of Citizenship & Immigration = MCI
  Minister of Employment & Immigration = MEI
  Minister of National Revenue = MNR
  Public Service Commission = PSC
  Royal Canadian Mounted Police = RCMP
  Solicitor General of Canada = SOLICITOR GENERAL