Nova Scotia Supreme Court

This page was last substantively updated or reviewed May 2023. (Rev. # 96024)

(~X) = approximate number of published decisions according to CanLII as of Oct 2018, unless otherwise indicated.

Distribution of Judges

Composition of Supreme Court

17 (1) The Supreme Court shall be composed of

(a) the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court;

(b) the Associate Chief Justice of the Supreme Court;

(c) the Associate Chief Justice of the Supreme Court (Family Division); and

(d) not more than forty-seven other judges.

(1A) The Supreme Court shall include a Family Division composed of the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, the Associate Chief Justice of the Supreme Court (Family Division) and not more than twenty-four other judges.

(2) For each office of judge of the Supreme Court there shall be the additional office of supernumerary judge of the Supreme Court and for the office of Chief Justice of the Supreme Court and the office of Associate Chief Justice of the Supreme Court there shall be such additional offices of judge as are, from time to time, required for the purpose of section 32 of the Judges Act (Canada).

1992, c. 16, s. 45; 1997 (2nd Sess.), c. 5, s. 1; 2000, c. 28, s. 55; 2019, c. 17, s. 1.

– JA

Court of Appeal and Supreme Court of Nova Scotia

14 The yearly salaries of the judges of the Nova Scotia Court of Appeal and the Supreme Court of Nova Scotia are as follows: [omitted (a) and (b)]

(c) the Chief Justice and the Associate Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, $371,400 each; and

(d) the 23 other judges of the Supreme Court, $338,800 each.

R.S., 1985, c. J-1, s. 14; R.S., 1985, c. 50 (1st Supp.), s. 4, c. 39 (3rd Supp.), s. 1; 1989, c. 8, s. 2; 1992, c. 51, s. 5; 2001, c. 7, s. 6; 2006, c. 11, s. 1; 2012, c. 31, s. 210; 2017, c. 20, s. 202; 2022, c. 10, s. 343.

– (DOJ)

Justices of the Supreme Court

(Full complement of 21, including Chief and Ass. Chief)[1]

Nova Scotia Pop. (2021): 979,000
Pop. per Justice: ~47k

Name	Location	Duration of Appointment	Appointed by	Prior Position(s)	Other Details
Deborah K. Smith [2] [3]	Halifax	November 8, 2001 (Judge) 2004 (ACJ) June 24, 2019 (Chief)	Chrétien / McLellan (Lib) (Judge) Martin / Cotler (Lib) (ACJ) J. Trudeau / Lametti (Lib) (Chief)	McInnes Cooper (1983 to 2001) Called to bar (1984) Dal grad (1983)	Published criminal decisions (~1) (as of December 2022)
Patrick J. Duncan [4][5]	Halifax	November 30, 2007	Harper / Nicholson (CPC)	Beveridge, MacPherson & Duncan (1986 to 2007) NS Legal Aid (1980 to 1986) Called to bar (1980) Dal grad (1979)	Published criminal decisions (~51) (as of the end of 2019)
Patrick Murray [6][7][8]	Sydney	August 10, 2010	Harper / Nicholson (CPC)	Murray, Gouthro, Wall LLP (2002 to 2010) Gillis and Murray LLP Stewart, McKelvey, Stirling, Scales LLP (1991 to 2002) Boudreau Beaton & LaFosse Called to bar (1981)	Published criminal decisions (~47) (as of the end of December 2021)
Pierre L. Muise [9] [10]	Yarmouth	August 10, 2010	Harper / Nicholson (CPC)	Provincial Court Judge (2009 to 2010) Crown attorney (2001 to 2009) Pink MacDonald Harding (1998 to 2001) Legal Aid (1997 to 1998) Patterson Palmer (1996 to 1997) Called to bar (1996)	Published criminal decisions (~17) (NSSC) (as of December 2023) Published criminal decisions (~0) (NSPC)
Peter Rosinski [11]	Halifax	August 11, 2010	Harper / Nicholson (CPC)	NS Public Prosecution Service (1989 to 2010) Appeal Crown (2005 to 2010) McLean & Associates (1989) Margeson & Wilson(1988) MacIntosh, MacDonnell & MacDonald (1986 to 1988) Called to bar (1986)	Published criminal decisions (~75)
James L. Chipman [12] [13]	Halifax	October 2, 2013	Harper / MacKay (CPC)	Stewart McKelvey Sterling Scales LLP (1998 to 2013) Cox Downie (1992 to 1998) Called to bar (1992)	Published criminal decisions (~45)
Joshua M. Arnold [14] [15]	Halifax	October 2, 2013	Harper / MacKay (CPC)	Arnold Pizzo McKegan LLP (1996 to 2013) NS Crown Attorney Called to bar (1990)	Published criminal decisions (~45)
Denise Boudreau [16]	Halifax	December 18, 2013	Harper / MacKay (CPC)	Public Prosecution Service of Canada (2007 to 2013) NS Legal Aid (1998 - 2007) LeBlanc, MacDonald, and Pickup (1994 to 1998) Called to bar (1994)	Published criminal decisions (~15) (as of the end of 2023)
Jamie Campbell [17]	Halifax	June 13, 2014	Harper / MacKay (CPC)	Provincial Court Judge (2005 to 2014) Cox Hansen (1983 to 2005)	Published criminal decisions (~16)
Jeffrey R. Hunt [18]	Truro	February 6, 2015	Harper / MacKay (CPC)	Patterson Law (1992 to 2015) Called to bar (1992)	Published criminal decisions (~20) (as of the end of December 2023)
D. Timothy Gabriel [19]	Halifax	October 20, 2016	J. Trudeau / Wilson-Raybould (Lib)	Provincial Court Judge (2010 to 2016) Landry McGillivray (1982 to 2010) Called to bar (1982)	Published criminal decisions (~2)
Ann E Smith [20]	Halifax	October 20, 2016	J. Trudeau / Wilson-Raybould (Lib)	Burchells LLP (2002 to 2016) Stewart McKelvey Called to bar (1991)	Published criminal decisions (~2)
Christa Brothers [21] [22]	Halifax	July 18, 2017	J. Trudeau / Wilson-Raybould (Lib)	Stewart McKelvey (1999 to 2017) Called to bar (1999)	Published criminal decisions (~17) (as of the end of 2022)
John Bodurtha [23]	Halifax	August 31, 2018	J. Trudeau / Wilson-Raybould (Lib)	Justice Canada (tax) (1997 to 2018) Legal Aid (1996 to 1997) Called to bar (1996)	Published criminal decisions (~0)
Scott Norton [24]	Halifax	30 November 2018	J. Trudeau / Wilson-Raybould (Lib)	Stewart McKelvey McInnes Cooper Called to bar (1984) Dal grad (1983)	Published criminal decisions (~9) (as of the end of December 2021)
Darlene Jamieson [25] [26]	Halifax	30 November 2018	J. Trudeau / Wilson-Raybould (Lib)	Merrick Jamieson Sterns Washington & Mahody (1998 to 2018) Wickwire Holm Called to bar (1989) Dal grad (1988)	Published criminal decisions (~6) (as of the end of December 2022)
John A. Keith [27]	Kentville	March 26, 2019	J. Trudeau / Lametti (Lib)	Cox & Palmer (1999 to 2019) Called to bar (1993)	Published criminal decisions (~0)
Diane Rowe [28]	Bridgewater	May 14, 2020	J. Trudeau / Lametti (Lib)	NS DOJ (2002 to 2020) Called to bar (1998) UNB grad (1997)	Published criminal decisions (~0)
Gail L. Gatchalian [29]		April 06, 2021	J. Trudeau / Lametti (Lib)	Pink Larkin (1999 to 2021) U of T grad (1996)	Published criminal decisions (~4) (as of the end of December 2023)
Frank P. Hoskins [30] [31]	Pictou	July 2021	J. Trudeau / Lametti (Lib)	NS Public Prosecution Service (1991 to 1995, 1996 to 2008) Pink Murray (1995 to 1996) Crosby Murtha (1990 to 1991) Called to bar (1990) Dal grad (1989)	Published criminal decisions (~5) (NSSC) (as of the end of December 2023) Published criminal decisions (~27) (NSPC)

Supernumerary

Name	Location	Date appointed	Appointed by	Prior Position(s)	Other details
Justice Mona M. Lynch [32]	Bridgewater	December 12, 2002 (Judge) March 1, 2020 (sup) [33]	Chrétien / Cauchon (Lib)	Justice of Family Division Dept of Justice, Youth Crime NS Legal Aid (1987 to 1999) Called to bar (1986)	Published criminal decisions (~13) (as of December 2021)
Justice C. Richard Coughlan [34]	Bridgewater	March 2, 2001	Chrétien / McLellan (Lib)	Coughlan and Coughlan Called to bar (1975)	Published criminal decisions (~50)
Justice Glen G. McDougall [35] [36]	Halifax	November 8, 2001 (Judge) May 14, 2018 (Sup.) [37]	Chrétien / McLellan (Lib)	Sampson McDougall LLP (1983 to 2001) Called to bar (1983)	Published criminal decisions (~45)
Gregory M. Warner [38]	Kentville	November 6, 2003 (Judge) 1 January 2019 (Sup.)	Chrétien / Cauchon (Lib)	Warner, Jacquard Pink Macdonald Harding Town of Yarmouth Called to bar (1972)	Published criminal decisions (~32)

Past Justices

• Nova Scotia Supreme Court (Historical)

Contact Info

Halifax Region [39] The Law Courts 1815 Upper Water St. Halifax, NS B3J 1S7 Phone: (902) 424-6900 After Hours: (902) 424-8988 Fax: (902) 424-0524 Prothonotary: Phone: (902) 424-7968 or (902)424-8962 Fax: (902) 424-0524 Court Administration Office: Phone: (902) 424-6900 Fax: (902) 424-0524 Scheduling Coordinators: Phone: (902) 424-5782 (Chambers/Civil) Fax: (902) 424-8367 Phone: (902) 424-7967 (Criminal) Fax: (902) 424-8367 Jury Coordinator: Phone: (902) 424-2729 Fax: (902) 424-8367 Truro [40] 1 Church Street Truro, NS B2N 3Z5 Phone: (902) 893-3953 Fax: (902) 893-6114

Pictou [41] Prothonotary 69 Water Street P.O. Box 1750 Pictou, NS B0K 1H0 Phone: (902) 485-7350 Fax: (902) 485-6737 [email protected] Amherst [42] (Street Address) 54 Victoria St. E. Amherst, NS B4H 3G5 (Mailing/Courier Address) 16 Church Street 3rd Floor Amherst, NS B4H 3A6 Phone: (902) 667-2256 Fax: (902) 667-1108 Kentville [43] Prothonotary 87 Cornwallis Street Kentville, NS B4N 2E5 Phone: (902) 679-5540 Fax: (902) 679-6178 Jury Co-ordinator: (902) 679-5540 Digby [44] 119 Queen St. P.O. Box 1089 Digby, NS B0V 1A0 Phone: (902) 245-7134 Fax: (902) 245-6722

Yarmouth [45] Prothonotary 164 Main Street Yarmouth, NS B5A 1C2 Phone: (902) 742-4142 Fax: (902) 742-0678 Bridgewater [46] 141 High Street Bridgewater, NS B4V 1W2 Phone: (902) 543-4679 Fax: (902) 543-0678 Port Hawkesbury [47] 15 Kennedy Street Port Hawkesbury, NS B9A 2Y1 Phone: (902) 625-2665 Fax: (902) 625-4084 Sydney [48] Prothonotary 136 Charlotte Street Suites #1 & #2 Sydney, NS B1P 1C3 Phone: (902) 563-3550 Fax: (902) 563-2224

External links

• Supreme Court of Nova Scotia Official Website
• composition of current Judicial Advisory Committee

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