New heraldic emblems for the Supreme Court of Canada were unveiled on March 15, 2021 along with an explanation of the many symbols used and their meaning.
The background of the main badge is white, symbolizing the ideals of transparency and accessibility. The two vertical red stripes are said to represent parallel paths, such as the highest court’s bilingual and bijural tradition, as well as dual traditions of Canada’s many Indigenous peoples.
Canada’s highest court hears cases in both of the country’s official languages, English and French, and it hears cases based in the two legal traditions, common law which originated in England and civil law derived from French custom. The red stripes are also meant to recall the principles of peace and mutual respect as was traditionally communicated by a two-row wampum belt. These belts were made of shell and were used to mark agreements between peoples.
The nine diamonds represent the nine justices of the Supreme Court and appear on the court’s flag as well as on the main badge.
The diamond containing nine smaller diamonds represents the nine judges and the central role it plays as Canada’s highest court and the guarantor of the Constitution and Charter of Rights and Freedoms. The laurels in the shape of a circle are meant to represent harmony and collegiality and are typical of judicial symbolism.
The latin motto “Justitia et Veritas” translates as “Justice and Truth.” These are the names of two statues which stand in front of the Supreme Court. Immediately after the unveiling ceremony a flag carrying the new emblems was hoisted on the eastern flagpole outside the Supreme Court building in Ottawa. It will fly there whenever there are hearings.
This statue called ‘Justitia’ or ‘Justice’ in English appears outside the Supreme Court of Canada in Ottawa, along with another called ‘Veritas’ or ‘Truth.’ The two Latin words appear in the court’s motto. (iStock)
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