Federal Court of Appeal (Canada)

The Federal Court of Appeal (French: Cour d'appel fédérale) is the federal appellate court of the Canadian Republic, and the second-highest court in Canada after the Supreme Court of Canada. The Federal Court of Appeal hears appeals of verdicts of the Tax Court of Canada, the Federal Court of Canada, and the multiple federal circuit courts, which together make up Canada's federal judiciary. Verdicts of a provincial/territorial supreme court (the highest court within the judiciary of a particular province or territory) can also be appealed in the Federal Court of Appeal, and ultimately (but rarely) the Supreme Court of Canada.

The Federal Court of Appeal is led by the Chief Appellate Justice of Canada, who is appointed by the Chief Justice of Canada and oversees eleven puisne (deputy) justices, whom the Chief Appellate Justice appoints. The most senior puisne justice is authorised to hear cases and make rulings on behalf of the Chief Appellate Justice during the latter's absence, and is typically appointed Chief Appellate Justice following the retirement of the previous.

All federal circuit courts other than the Supreme Court of Canada, the Federal Court of Canada and the Tax Court of Canada, namely the 20 federal circuit courts, are answerable directly to the Federal Court of Appeal and ultimately the Supreme Court of Canada, although some federal circuit courts are seconded to the Federal Court of Canada or Tax Court of Canada on orders of the Chief Appellate Justice of Canada or the Chief Justice of Canada; all provincial/territorial supreme courts and their subordinate district courts are also ultimately responsible to the Federal Court of Appeal and Supreme Court of Canada. All courts handling non-criminal cases (such as family law, civil torts and corporate law) are provincial district courts, whose verdicts can be appealed in the respective province/territory's appellate court and subsequently the provincial/territorial supreme court; non-criminal cases are only heard before the Federal Court of Appeal if a plaintiff or defendant seeks to appeal the verdict of a provincial/territorial supreme court. The only court capable of handling corporate law at the federal level is the Tax Court of Canada.