The Chief Administrator, in consultation with the Chief Justices of the Federal Court of Appeal, the Federal Court, the Court Martial Appeal Court and the Tax Court of Canada, must establish and maintain the registries for those courts.

The Chief Administrator of the Courts Administration Service is responsible for the Registry.

The Registry consists of a principal office in Ottawa and other offices in the different parts of the country where convenience of litigants makes it expedient that there be such offices. At present, there are sixteen such offices.

Any party in any proceeding may file documents, have writs issued, or otherwise do business with the Registry in the office of the Registry which is most convenient to him or her. Thus, for example, an appeal may be commenced by filing a Notice of Appeal in the Vancouver office, one Respondent may file his Notice of Appearance in the Montreal office, and another Respondent may file her notice in the Toronto office. Each of the parties may then continue to deal with the particular office that is most conveniently located.

All original court files are maintained in the principal office of the Registry in Ottawa, but certified copies of all documents on any particular file are maintained in each of the local offices where any of the parties prefers to deal with the Registry.

Local offices are of two kinds. In some places, the Registry has its own full-time staff and an office operated solely for the Courts. In others, arrangements have been made to operate an office of the Registry in conjunction with the registries of provincial or territorial superior courts.

Information about Registry Services to Assist Self-Represented Litigants