Nova Scotia Provincial Court
| This page was last substantively updated or reviewed October 2023. (Rev. # 89671) |
- (~X) = approximate number of published decisions according to CanLII as of December 2022, unless otherwise indicated.
The Provincial Court was created by the Stipendiary Magistrates Act, on April 14, 1938. The name of Provincial Court was introduced in 1976.
Current Judges
| Name | Location | Date Appointed | Appointed By | Prior Position(s) | Other Details |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chief Judge Perry Borden [1] | Halifax | July 9, 2020 (J) August 27, 2023 (CJ) |
McNeil / Furey (Lib) (J) Houston / Brad Johns (PC) |
NS Crown Attorney (2007 to 2020) Private Practice (criminal) Called to bar (2003) |
Published criminal decisions (~2) |
| Alanna Murphy [2] | Dartmouth | November 13, 2002 | Hamm / Baker (PC) | NS Public Prosecution Service (1987 to 2002) Chief Crown (2000 to 2002) Called to bar (1987) |
Published criminal decisions (~0) |
| Pamela S. Williams (CJ)[3] | HRM | September 19, 2003 (Judge) 2013 to 2023 (Chief) |
PC (2003) NDP (2013) |
NS Legal Aid, Youth Called to bar (1985) |
Published criminal decisions (~24) |
| James H. Burrill [4] | Yarmouth | September 19, 2003 | Hamm / Baker (PC) | NS Public Prosecution Service (1987 to 2003) Called to bar (1986) |
Published criminal decisions (~20) (as of the end of December 2022) |
| Laurel J. Halfpenny-MacQuarrie [5] | Port Hawkesbury | September 19, 2003 | Hamm / Baker (PC) | NS Public Prosecution Service Private Practice Called to bar (1990) |
Published criminal decisions (~9) (as of the end of December 2022) |
| Gregory E. Lenehan [6] | Halifax | October 19, 2010 | Dexter / Landry (NDP) | NS Public Prosecution Service (1989 to 2010) | Published criminal decisions (~4) (as of December 2022) |
| Timothy D. Landry [7] [8] | Digby/Yarmouth | September 19, 2012 | Dexter / Landry (NDP) | NS Legal Aid (1994 to 2012) Called to bar (1992) |
Published criminal decisions (~4) |
| Daniel A. MacRury [9] | Sydney | July 30, 2014 | McNeil / Diab (Lib) | NS Public Prosecution Service Called to bar (1986) |
Published criminal decisions (~0) |
| Elizabeth Buckle [10] [11] | Halifax Amherst |
March 31, 2015 | McNeil / Diab (Lib) | Beveridge, MacPherseon & Buckle (criminal) (2008 to 2015) PPSC Crown (2004 to 2008) Heller Rubel Called to bar (1994) |
Published criminal decisions (~38) |
| Alain Bégin [12] [13] | Truro | September 1, 2016 | McNeil / Whalen (Lib) | McLellan Richards & Bégin (2000 to 2016) Private practice Called to bar (1995) |
Published criminal decisions (~28) |
| Ronda van der Hoek [14] | Kentville/Windsor | January 23, 2017 | McNeil / Whalen (Lib) | Public Prosecution Service of Canada Nova Scotia Legal Aid Called to bar (1997) |
Published criminal decisions (~44) (as of the end of December 2022) |
| Cathy Benton [15] [16] [17] | Bridgewater/ Shubenacadie |
January 23, 2017 | McNeil / Whalen (Lib) | NS Legal Aid Called to bar (1994) |
Published criminal decisions (~4) |
| Rickcola Brinton [18] | Halifax | March 31, 2017 | McNeil / Whalen (Lib) | NS Legal Aid, Youth (2001 to 2017) Called to bar (~2000) |
Published criminal decisions (~0) (as of the end of December 2022) |
| Rosalind Michie [19] | Amherst | March 31, 2017 | McNeil / Whalen (Lib) | NS Public Prosecution Service (2001 to 2017) Called to bar (1997) |
Published criminal decisions (~10) |
| Amy Sakalauskas [20] [21] | Sydney | March 31, 2017 | McNeil / Whalen (Lib) | Private practice Called to bar (2003) |
Published criminal decisions (~6) |
| Diane L. McGrath [22] | Sydney | September 19, 2017 | McNeil / Furey (Lib) | NS Prosecution Service NS Legal Aid Private Practice Called to bar (1993) |
Published criminal decisions (~6) |
| Anne Marie Simmons [23] | Halifax | November 10, 2017 | McNeil / Furey (Lib) | Public Prosecution Service of Canada (2005 to 2017) NS Crown Attorney (1995~ to 2005) private practice (1984 to 1995~) Called to bar (~1984) |
Published criminal decisions (~2) |
| Chris Manning [24] | Kentville | May 31, 2018 | McNeil / Furey (Lib) | Private Practice (criminal) NS Legal Aid Called to bar (1985) |
Published criminal decisions (~0) |
| Christine Driscoll | December 2021 | Houston / Brad Johns (PC) | Crown Attorney Called to bar (1996) |
Published criminal decisions (~1) | |
| D. Shane Russell | December 2021 | Houston / Brad Johns (PC) | Crown Attorney U of Man grad (2003) |
Published criminal decisions (~2) (as of the end of December 2022) | |
| Brad G. Sarson [25] | Dartmouth | June 3, 2022 | Houston / Brad Johns (PC) | Legal aid Called to bar (1997) |
Published criminal decisions (~0) |
| Kelly J. Serbu [26] | Halifax | June 3, 2022 | Houston / Brad Johns (PC) | Adjudicator re Residential Schools (2008 to 2019) Private practice (criminal) [27] Called to bar (1997) |
Published criminal decisions (~0) |
| Nicole A. Rovers [28] | Antigonish | June 3, 2022 | Houston / Brad Johns (PC) | Legal Aid Called to bar (2002) |
Published criminal decisions (~0) |
| Jill Hartlen [29] [30] | Dartmouth | February 3, 2023 | Houston / Brad Johns (PC) | PPSC Crown Called to bar (2004) |
Published criminal decisions |
| Jill Barrington | Sydney | February 3, 2023 | Houston / Brad Johns (PC) | Sheldon Nathanson Law Office Called to bar (2011) |
Published criminal decisions |
| Bronwyn Duffy | Dartmouth | February 3, 2023 | Houston / Brad Johns (PC) | MacIsaac, Clarke & Duffy Called to bar (2010) |
Published criminal decisions |
| Bryna Hatt | Pictou | February 3, 2023 | Houston / Brad Johns (PC) | Fraser Hatt Law Called to bar (2008) |
Published criminal decisions |
| Alonzo Wright [31] | Houston / Brad Johns (PC) | Crown Attorney | Published criminal decisions | ||
| Mark Heerema [32] | Houston / Brad Johns (PC) | Crown Attorney Called to bar (2007) |
Published criminal decisions |
Part-time Judges
| Name | Location | Date Appointed | Appointed By | Prior Position(s) | Other Details |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jean M. Whalen [33] | Dartmouth | January 16, 2009 | MacDonald / Clarke (PC) | NS Public Prosecution Service Called to bar (~1985) |
Published criminal decisions (~50) |
| Paul V. Scovil [34] | Bridgewater | August 2, 2011 | Dexter / Landry (NDP) | NS Public Prosecution Service (1998 to 2011) Called to bar (1982) |
Published criminal decisions (~44) |
| Del W. Atwood [35] [36] | Pictou | November 10, 2009 | Dexter / Landry (NDP) | NS Public Prosecution Service (2002 to 2009) Crown Attorney (Nlfd) (1993 to 2002) Legal aid (1986 to 1992) Called to bar (~1985) |
Published criminal decisions (~187) (as of the end of Dec 2021) |
| E. Ann Marie MacInnes [37] | Sydney | November 10, 2015 | McNeil / Whalen (Lib) | NS Legal Aid Called to bar (1991) |
Published criminal decisions (~2) |
| Theodore K. Tax [38] | Dartmouth | October 1, 2008 | MacDonald / Clarke (PC) | Federal DOJ Called to bar (1978) |
Published criminal decisions (~64) |
| A. Peter Ross | Sydney | 1990 | PC (Buchanan/?) |
NS Public Prosecution Service Called to bar (~1978) |
Published criminal decisions (~45) |
| Barbara Beach | Halifax, Youth | 1994 | Liberal (Savage/?) |
NS Legal Aid Called to bar (~1978) |
Published criminal decisions (~6) (as of the end of December 2021) |
| Michael B. Sherar [39] | Halifax | 1990 (Judge) January 2020 (Sup.) |
PC | Blois Nickerson Called to bar (~1978) |
Published criminal decisions (~12) |
| Marc C. Chisholm [40] | Halifax | September 19, 2003 (Judge), 2017 (Sup.) | PC | NS Public Prosecution Service (1980 to 2003) Called to bar (1980) |
Published criminal decisions (~45) |
| Alan T. Tufts [41] | Kentville | 1998 (Judge) 2013 (ACJ) May 31, 2018 (Sup) |
Liberal (1998) NDP (2013) |
Muttart Tufts Dewolfe and Coyle Called to bar (~1980) |
Published criminal decisions (~61) |
| William Dyer | Bridgewater | Published criminal decisions (~0) | |||
| John D. Comeau | Dartmouth | 1981 [42] | Published criminal decisions (~0) | ||
| Claudine MacDonald | Published criminal decisions (~8) |
Previous Judges
Contact Info
Halifax Provincial Court
Youth Justice Court
277 Pleasant St.
Dartmouth Provincial Courthouse |
Provincial Court
5 Mill Village Rd.
69 Water Street
11 James Street |
16 Church Street
87 Cornwallis Street
240 King Street
119 Queen St.
377 Saint George Street |
164 Main Street
136 Hammond Street
141 High Street
15 Kennedy Street
136 Charlotte Street |