A Final Appeal

 The interior hall of the Supreme Court is a work of art in its own right.

The pattern in the marble of the staircase drew my eye.

As did the roof.

This display case contained various documents from Supreme Court history.

The building contains offices and libraries for the justices and their staff, as well as two other courtrooms on this level- a federal court and a federal court of appeals. We were in the first one with our guide, an informative young woman who spoke about the independence of the judiciary, the differences between the federal level and the provincial/ territorial level of courts, and what might bring a case before the Supreme Court. Usually it's of a compelling nature concerning the country as a whole, as opposed to a dispute between two neighbours.

Upstairs, and the actual Supreme Court. It is a beautiful room.

The Court hears cases in English and French, and livestreams their proceedings. Due to the dual nature of the country's legal system, with roots in British common law and French civil law, this Court is unique in another respect- it is bijural. Members of the public can come to see hearings as well, though you're not likely to see testimony in the same way that you would in a regular trial. This place is more about questions of the law itself.

Back out, and looking into the main interior hall from above. What a place this is.

Coming outside, we get a look at Walter Allward's Justice, with Parliament Hill off in the background.

One last look.