Criminal justice records

About our criminal justice records

What we have

We have the following criminal justice records, up to the 1980s (with some gaps):

• criminal court and judges’ records, including criminal indictment files
• Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) and coroner records
• correctional, probation and parole records

What we don’t have

We don’t hold the records of:

• municipal police forces
• Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP)

You need to contact these bodies directly to request access to their records.

Criminal court records

How to access criminal court records

Criminal court records including indictments are usually open to the public, however some files may be restricted because they contain sensitive personal information.

Information you need to request a criminal court record

To view criminal court records, you need to know the following information:

• reference code (see criminal court record series listed below, RG 22-xxxx number)
• case number
• title of the case
• case details
• information you’re seeking from these files

Steps to find a case number

1. Determine which series (RG 22-xxxx) your case of interest will be located in. Our criminal court records are organized by the District or County courthouse from where they originated. Enter the search string “[county] criminal” in Collection Search and view the “How to order records” section for ordering information.
2. Find your case file number by contacting the County or Divisional courthouse where the trial was heard. Visit the Ontario Provincial Courthouse locations page for contact details.
3. Or, for older cases, a case file number may be available in our holdings, located in an index. Indexes can be found in Court Registers, Judgement Books, Procedure Books, and Order Books. The reference code for the index will be noted in the “How to order records” or “Related records” section of the series description. 

Once you have this information, submit your request to archivesFOI@ontario.ca.

Listing of criminal court records series

Regional criminal courts

Magistrates’ Courts, existed from 1849 to 1968

These courts existed in many municipalities with populations over 5,000. This is where minor criminals would first appear in court for “petty” offences and by-law infractions. Before 1934, these courts were also known as Police Magistrates’ Courts, Police Courts, or Mayor’s Courts, but few records from these courts have survived.

Provincial Court (Criminal Division), existed from 1968 to 1989

This court existed in all counties and districts and dealt with criminal matters that used to be handled by the Magistrates’ Courts.

Courts of General Sessions of the Peace, existed from 1777 to 1984

County and District Court Judges’ Criminal Courts, existed from 1869 to 1984

These courts existed in all counties and districts and dealt with minor crimes, such as assault, misdemeanours, and “petit larceny” (minor theft). Before 1841, the Sessions were also responsible for local administration.

District Court, existed from 1984 to 1989

This court existed in all counties and districts. It dealt with the criminal matters previously assigned to the Court of General Sessions of the Peace and the County or District Judges’ Criminal Courts.

Ontario Court of Justice, since 1989

This court exists at various locations throughout the provinces. It deals with minor criminal and family issues, as well as provincial offences. It was called the Ontario Court of Justice, Provincial Division until 1999.

Family and young offender courts

Juvenile and Family courts, existed from 1910 to 1968

Provincial Court (Family Division), existed from 1968 to 1989

These courts existed in all counties and districts. They dealt with criminal and civil issues including young offenders, as well as various domestic and family law matters (but not divorces)

United Family Court, existed from 1977 to 1994

This court dealt with all criminal and civil family law issues, including young offenders, until it was replaced by the Ontario Court of Justice Family Court

Courts of Justice (General Division) Family Court, existed since 1994

This court exists in parts of the province. Where it doesn’t exist, family law responsibilities are divided between the Ontario Court of Justice (including young offenders) and the Superior Court of Justice

Courts of superior jurisdiction

Court of Queen’s (or King’s) Bench, existed from 1794 to 1881.

Court of Common Pleas, existed from 1849 to 1881.

Common Pleas Division, existed from 1881 to 1913.

Queen’s Bench Division, existed from 1881 to 1913.

High Court of Justice, existed from 1881 to 1913.

Supreme Court (Ontario), existed from 1881 to 1989.

These courts were based in Toronto, and they had jurisdiction over all criminal offenses, but they mainly dealt with major indictable offenses, such as murder, manslaughter, sexual assault, and fraud.

Supreme Court indictment files

Supreme Court Central Office Criminal Assize Clerk criminal indictment case files, 1853-1929 (RG 22-392)

These records involve indictments that were tried before the Supreme Court of Ontario, for offences such as murder, rape, arson, theft, and fraud.

If you are looking for a file of a specific person, select “view the description hierarchy” in the RG 22-392 record description or do a search for the name in Collection Search.

Supreme Court Registrar’s criminal indictment files, 1930 to 1979 (RG 22-517)

These records involve indictments for major crimes tried before the Supreme Court of Ontario.

Other indictment files

We have some indictment files from lower courts in the following counties/districts:

• Lambton
• Lanark
• Lincoln
• Peel
• York
• Sudbury
• Thunder Bay

To find these records, search our Collection Search combining a county name and the term “indictment.”

We also have indictment case files for the Supreme Court of Ontario, Sudbury district, 1927 to 1975 and 1981 to 1986. Please see RG 22-5010 for more information.

Investigation records

How to access criminal investigation records

Criminal investigation records are covered by the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act (FIPPA). To access records from the last 100 years, you’ll need to submit a Freedom of Information Request.

Note: Records of juvenile delinquents since 1908 are covered by the Youth Criminal Justice Act and can only be viewed by the individual named in the file.

Information you need to request a criminal investigation record

To request a criminal investigation record, you need to provide information about:

• where the event took place
• when it took place
• who was involved

For coroner records, you also need to provide:

• the name of the deceased

For police records:

• type of crime
• name(s) of accused and victim(s)

For jail, probation and parole records:

• location where the individual was jailed
• individual’s name

Once you have this information, submit a Freedom of Information request to the Archives Information and Privacy Unit.

Criminal investigation record series

Ontario Provincial Police records

Although the OPP was formed in 1908, the Archives holds sold OPP investigation records starting from 1901 to around 1983.

Ontario Provincial Police criminal investigation records and reports (RG 23-26)

• 1901-1977 (predominantly 1901-1970)

Ontario Provincial Police major criminal investigation solved case files (RG 23-29)

• 1922-1971

Ontario Provincial Police Special Investigations Branch crime reports (RG 23-49)

• 1936-1984

Ontario Provincial Police criminal investigations reports and files (RG 23-50)

• 1922-1970

Ontario Provincial Police major occurrence report files (RG 23-51)

• 1969-1983

Coroners’ records

The following deaths are investigated by coroners:

• suspicious or unexplained deaths
• deaths that appear to be caused by an accident, homicide, or suicide
• deaths on construction sites, quarries, pits, or mines
• deaths that occurred while a person was detained or when force by a police officer was involved

We have coroners’ records for some counties and districts from 1821 to 1963 and a few county records up to 1974. These records may include:

• investigations
• inquests case files
• registers
• returns

Before the creation of the Chief Coroner’s Office in 1963, local coroner’s records were maintained by the Clerk of the Peace/Crown Attorney in each district and county. Without government oversight over their preservation, many counties simply destroyed their historical records. 

Except for those listed, coroner’s records after 1963 are with the Chief Coroner’s Office. To access these records, submit a Freedom of Information request to the Ministry of the Solicitor General.

Other investigation series

Office of the Chief Coroner major accident inquest files, 1949 to 1980 (RG 33-26)

These records may include reports and medical records from coroners, pathologists, hospitals, OPP, municipal police, and other related materials. These files involve major accidents that occurred in Ontario. Please see RG 33-26 for more information.

Centre for Forensic Sciences case files, 1932 to 1961 (RG 33-28)

These records may include police reports describing crime scenes, evidence, notes take by laboratory staff, and the laboratory’s report to the police. Please see RG 33-28 for more information.

Office of the Fire Marshall investigation case files, 1929 to 2001 (RG 33-30)

These records involve investigations into fires resulting in death, explosions, and major damage. They may include an investigation report, witness statements, correspondence, schematic site drawings and plans, and a final report of the findings. Please see RG 33-30 for more information.

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