County of Waterloo. Justice of the Peace

The primary responsibility for the administration of justice in Canada lies with the Provinces. In the past, the costs of the administration of justice were shared by the County and the Province, the “current and necessary expenses” by-law providing for the payment of jurors, sheriffs, jailers, court constables and other judiciary expenses. Other County by-laws provided for the construction of the County Gaol, the Governor's residence and Judges' Chambers. Although special by-laws regarding the apprehension of horse thieves reflected the concerns of the time, the County was primarily a unit of administration with no judicial authority. William Miller (1810-1891), a lawyer from Galt, was the first Judge of the Waterloo County Court. Appointed in 1853, he presided over Waterloo County courts into the late 1880s with “ability, integrity and fidelity.”

In 1969, all of the costs for the administration of justice were assumed by the Province, but the County Courts continued to sit in the Court House. In 1971, as the change to Regional Government was about to take place, most of the space in the new Court House, excepting the chambers of Regional Council, was leased to the Province of Ontario for judicial purposes.

County of Waterloo. County Council 1853-1971