CORNWALL FAMILY LAWYER, CORNWALL CRIMINAL LAWYER, CORNWALL CIVIL LITIGATION LAWYER

1. Cornwall Superior Court of Justice & Ontario Courts of Justice

In Cornwall both the Superior Court of Justice (which hears serious criminal matters, all family matters & all civil matters including small claims) and the Ontario Court of Justice (which hears less serious criminal matters & appeals of provincial offences) are co-located in a single modern downtown location about 10 minutes south of the Highway 401. 

Cornwall Courthouse Directions

Take the McConnell Exit # 792 from the Highway 401, drive south to Second Street, and turn right driving west to just past Pitt Street.

Cornwall Courthouse Parking

Very limited free parking is available at the courthouse (entrance off Third Street), but you'll need to arrive early in the morning to snag a space. While short term meter parking is available on all streets surrounding the courthouse, because court times are unpredictable your best parking bet is in the municipal lot on the south side of Second Street just across from the courthouse where you can park all day on an hourly basis.

Cornwall Courthouse Hours

Courthouse hours are from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.. Criminal remand and bail courts often start at 9 a.m. (but bails may occasionally start later). Plea and trial courts usually do not get going until 10 a.m.

Cornwall Courthouse Setup

The entire courthouse is located on one level. Walking through the main entrance and turning right, as you walk down the hallway on the left you'll first find courtroom #2 and then courtroom #1, both usually used for criminal remands, pleas and bails. Check on the cork boards outside the courtrooms for copies of the daily court dockets to find your name or the name of your loved one. The list should clarify the charges faced, and daily start time for the court. 

Next on your left is the Legal Aid Ontario Criminal Duty Counsel office, where staff lawyers can answer your questions about the criminal process, and may be able to provide you or your loved one with legal services if the charge is serious enough (usually jail is a possibility), and the financial cutoff is met (all those on social assistance or government disability will usually qualify, while those with jobs will need to prove level of income). 

On your right as you walk down the same hallway is the provincial Crown Attorney's Office, which you'll need to visit to request disclosure if you are representing yourself on a charge. If you're a victim of an offence the Crown might ask you to come to that office to meet with a prosecutor. 

Turning left from the main entrance, as you walk down the hallway on the left hand side you'll find the Family Law Information Clinic (FLIC), followed by the court administration office where there are criminal, civil and family clerk counters to accept your documents for filing, and answer your questions about pending cases. Further down on the left are courtrooms #10, #9 and #8 which are usually used for family, civil and criminal case conferences (rather than trials). 

On your right as you walk down the hallway after turning right from the main entrance is the Family Law Duty Counsel Office, who might be able to legally represent you on certain matter if you meet the income cutoff levels. Further down on the right are larger courtrooms #3, #4, and #5 which are usually used for a variety of Superior Court matters, followed by smaller courtrooms #6 and #7 used mostly for Ontario Court of Justice criminal trials. 

There is currently no security screening at the courthouse entrance. 

Cornwall Superior Court of Justice & Ontario Court of Justice

29 Second Street West, Cornwall, Ontario

Cornwall Provincial Offences Court

26 Pitt Street, Cornwall, Ontario

2. Cornwall Provincial Offences Court

The POA Court handles all Highway Traffic Act and other non-criminal offences. Examine all court documents you've received carefully to confirm if you need to show up in the Cornwall POA courthouse or SCJ/OCJ courthouse. This can be confusing because offences like federal tobacco charges under the Excise Act wind up in the SCJ/OCJ courthouse, while provincial tobacco charges under the Tobacco Tax Act go to the POA court. You might need to appear in both courthouses on different days, or hire a lawyer to appear for you. 

The POA court is located on the third floor of 26 Pitt St., which also houses municipal government offices. The court clerk's office where fines can be paid and you can obtain information about your case, the main courtroom, and the prosecutor's office are to the right as you exit the stairs or elevator. There is a secondary courtroom on the second floor, but it is rarely use. 

The free parking situation is better for the POA Court than the SCJ/OCJ court. You can usually find a free space behind the POA courthouse, entering off Water Street. Meter parking is also available in front of the court building on Pitt St. 

Court usually starts at 9 a.m., and the docket can be lengthy, so be prepared to wait either in the courtroom or in the hallway.