La constitutionnalisation de la juridiction inhérente au Canada : origines et fondements

Bien que la juridiction inhérente des cours superIeures constitue une notion souvent utilisée par les tribunaux au Canada, plusieurs facettes importantes de cette notion demeurent inconnues et incomprises. Le présent mémoire s'attarde à retracer l'origine et les fondements des pouvoirs inhérents afin d'en expliquer la constitutionnalisation dans l'ordre constitutionnel canadien contemporain. Pour ce faire, nous avons retracé l'essence des pouvoirs inhérents au moyen d'une démarche historique afin d'énoncer une théorie constitutionnelle cohérente des pouvoirs inhérents qui permettra de juger du bien-fondé de leurs nombreuses manifestations contemporaines. L'enchâssement de la juridiction inhérente dans la Constitution canadienne repose sur le statut, la nature et les caractéristiques uniques des cours supérieures. Plus particulièrement, le principe constitutionnel de l'indépendance judiciaire constitue le fondement contemporain de la constitutionnalisation de la juridiction inhérente. Cette constatation permet alors d'avancer l'idée selon laquelle les pouvoirs inhérents nécessaires au maintien de l'indépendance judiciaire des cours supérieures doivent être élevés au rang de normes constitutionnelles supralégislatives.

The inherent jurisdiction of the superior courts is frequently used by the courts in Canada. However, many of its major aspects are still unknown or misunderstood. This paper tries to identify the origins and foundations of the inherent jurisdiction to explain its constitutionalization in contemporary Canadian constitution law. To achieve this purpose, we retrace the essence of the inherent powers by way of an historical approach. This allows us to construct a coherent constitutional theory of the inherent jurisdiction which will be useful to evaluate the legitimacy and appropriateness of its manifold modern uses. The constitutionalization of the inherent jurisdiction rests on the unique status, nature and characteristics of the superior courts in Canada. More specifically, the constitutional principle of judicial independence is the modern foundation of the constitutionalization of the inherent jurisdiction. This assertion allows us to advance the idea that the inherent powers needed to maintain the judicial independence of the superior courts must be elevated to the level of supralegislative norms.

The inherent jurisdiction of the superior courts is frequently used by the courts in Canada. However, many of its major aspects are still unknown or misunderstood. This paper tries to identify the origins and foundations of the inherent jurisdiction to explain its constitutionalization in contemporary Canadian constitution law. To achieve this purpose, we retrace the essence of the inherent powers by way of an historical approach. This allows us to construct a coherent constitutional theory of the inherent jurisdiction which will be useful to evaluate the legitimacy and appropriateness of its manifold modern uses. The constitutionalization of the inherent jurisdiction rests on the unique status, nature and characteristics of the superior courts in Canada. More specifically, the constitutional principle of judicial independence is the modern foundation of the constitutionalization of the inherent jurisdiction. This assertion allows us to advance the idea that the inherent powers needed to maintain the judicial independence of the superior courts must be elevated to the level of supralegislative norms.