Attorney General Announces Judicial Appointment

Attorney General and Justice Minister Cecil Clarke has announced the appointment of Pierre Muise of Tusket, Yarmouth Co., as the newest judge of the family and provincial courts. Mr. Muise was appointed today, June 5.

Mr. Muise was admitted to the Nova Scotia Bar in 1996 and since then has been a senior Crown attorney with the Nova Scotia Public Prosecution Service in Yarmouth. Mr. Muise, who is bilingual, will conduct trials in French. His appointment will ensure French language services are maintained when Judge Jean-Louis Batiot retires.

Mr. Muise graduated from Dalhousie University in 1995 with a bachelor of laws degree. He was the president and director of the Yarmouth County Barristers' Society and was an executive member and recognized agent of the Confederacy of Nova Scotia Métis and the Yarmouth and District Métis Council.

Provincial court judges are required to have at least five years experience as a barrister of the Supreme Court of Nova Scotia, and must meet other criteria set by the Advisory Committee on Provincial Judicial Appointments. Committee members include two members of the Nova Scotia Barristers' Society, judges of the provincial and family courts, one who may be a chief judge, and four members appointed by the Minister of Justice.

The provincial court has exclusive jurisdiction over all summary offences under provincial statutes and federal acts and regulations. The family court provides a forum for hearing issues relating to the family including maintenance, custody and access, family violence between spouses or between parent and child and child protection matters. For more information on Nova Scotia courts, see the website at www.courts.ns.ca.