Toronto is the highest populated city in Canada and the fourth highest populated city in North America. The city of Toronto is an international city of:
- Business;
- Finance;
- Arts; and
- Culture.
It is also recognized as one of the most cosmopolitan cities in the world. Toronto has historically been a destination for immigrants to Canada.
Over 50% of the residents of Toronto belong to a visible minority population group, representing over 200 distinct ethnic origins. Although most individuals who reside in Toronto speak English as their primary language, there are over 160 languages spoken in the city.
The City of Toronto is a prominent center for:
- Theater;
- Music;
- Motion picture production; and
- Television production.
Toronto is home to the headquarters of the major national broadcast networks and media outlets in Canada. There are over 43 million tourists who visit the city each year to see its:
- Museums and galleries;
- Festivals and public events;
- Entertainment districts;
- National historic sites; and
- Sports activities.
Toronto is well known for its numerous high rise buildings and skyscrapers. It is home to the tallest free-standing structure in the Western Hemisphere, called the CN Tower.
The CN Tower is a concrete communications and observation tower which stands 1,815 feet tall. It is located in downtown Toronto.
The tower was completed in 1976 on former Railway Lands and is now the 9th tallest freestanding structure in the world. The name CN comes from Canadian National, the railway company which built the tower.
Another major attraction which can be found in Toronto is The Royal Ontario Museum, known as ROM, which is a museum of natural history, world culture, and art. ROM is the largest museum in Canada. It is also one of the largest museums in North America.
Each year, over 1 million visitors go to the Royal Ontario Museum, which makes it the most-visited museum in Canada. It is located north of Queen’s Park.
Toronto is also home to:
- The Toronto Stock Exchange;
- The headquarters of the 5 largest banks in Canada; and
- The headquarters of numerous large Canadian and multinational corporations.
The economy of Toronto is very diverse and includes:
- Technology;
- Design;
- Financial services;
- Life sciences;
- Education;
- Arts;
- Fashion;
- Aerospace;
- Environmental innovation;
- Food services; and
- Tourism.
Similar to other provinces in Canada, Ontario boasts some strange laws, including:
- Pursuant to Canadian law, an individual is only permitted to use a maximum of 25 loonies, a Canadian dollar coin, to make a purchase;
- A snowman cannot be higher than 30 inches;
- It is against the law to claim a product is maple syrup when, in fact, it is not;
- It is against the law to sell, publish, or possess a comic book which depicts a criminal act;
- It is against a Toronto bylaw to drag a dead horse down Yonge Street on a Sunday; and
- It is illegal to scare The Queen.
Additional Toronto Law Information
If an individual is seeking the assistance of a lawyer in Toronto, Canada, it will be helpful for them to be aware of the differences in terminology and processes in the United States and Canada. Canadian lawyers may be called solicitors or barristers.
The terms attorney and lawyer are both used in the United States to refer to individuals who practice law. In Canada, however, the term attorney is only used to describe an individual appointed under a power of attorney.
This information may also be helpful when seeking legal assistance using services such as LegalMatch or other United States based legal services. The terms lawyer and attorney can be used to search for a lawyer on LegalMatch because the content is created by individuals with American vocabularies.
In the United States, there is not a distinction between lawyers who practice law in court and those who do not. The term lawyer in Canada describes an individual who has been called to the bar.
Lawyers in Canada are permitted to appear in court as well as represent their clients in court. In addition, there are differences between the legal processes in the United States and Canada, including the availability of large amounts of damages.
The United States is known for its large damages awards being awarded to plaintiffs in personal injury cases. In Canada, on the other hand, the Supreme Court of Canada has limited the amount to around $400,000.
There are also differences in the way legal fees are handled in the two countries. In the United States, the American Rule is followed, where each party pays for their own legal fees.
Canada, on the other hand, uses the English Rule. Under the English Rule, the legal costs associated with the case are paid by the party who loses the case.
In Toronto, Ontario, there are two divisions of the Court of Ontario, the Superior Court of Justice and the Ontario Court of Justice.
The Superior Court of Justice hears more serious cases, including:
- Serious criminal offenses;
- Divorces;
- Civil cases;
- Civil cases which involve large sums of money; and
- Any challenges to the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms.
The Ontario Court of Justice hears cases including:
- Criminal offenses, except for the most serious offenses;
- Pre-trial hearings, or preliminary hearings, in criminal cases which will go to The Superior Court; and
- Violations of provincial laws.
There are also specialized branches within these court divisions. For example, branches of the Superior Court of Justice include Family Court and Small Claims Court.
If an individual’s court decision or ruling is in dispute, their case may go to appeal. Numerous appeals are heard by the Court of Appeal for Ontario.
The Court of Appeal for Ontario is separate from other courts in Ontario and typically provides the final ruling on legal issues it hears. Appeals on these rulings go to the Supreme Court of Canada, the highest court in the country.
Locate Lawyers in Toronto, Canada and Toronto, Canada Attorneys Quickly
Before selecting a solicitor or barrister in Toronto, it is important to ensure that your potential representative has completed all of the required educational training as well as the proper certifications. To become a lawyer in Toronto, an individual must complete high school and then earn an undergraduate degree.
The potential lawyer must then complete law school. After law school, a lawyer is required to complete an articling program and pass the bar exam.
A lawyer in Canada may define their practice with a title that they choose. This may include a barrister, who appears in court or in mediations or a solicitor, who is a lawyer that does not appear in court.
Solicitors handle legal issues including wills and contracts. If you are looking to find the top lawyers in Toronto, a great resource is LegalMatch.
LegalMatch can help you find a list of lawyers in Toronto who can help you with your legal issue. LegalMatch will provide information on pre-screened lawyers in Toronto, such as:
- Background information on each lawyer;
- The experience and educational information of each lawyer;
- Fee information for each lawyer;
- Whether the lawyer has malpractice coverage; and
- Reviews from former clients, or lawyer ratings.