News release

Attorney General Announces Judicial Appointments

Justice

Patrick Curran has been appointed to another five-year term as Chief Judge of the Provincial Court, announced Justice Minister and Attorney General Cecil Clarke today, March 31.

Mr. Curran has been working with the provincial court for 26 years and was first appointed as chief judge in January 2003. Before his appointment, he was an associate with Patterson, Smith, Matthews and Grant of Truro, a partner with Innes & Curran of Bedford and served as a legal aid lawyer.

In 1970 after graduating from Dalhousie Law School, he was called to the bar. He has also received a bachelor of arts cum laude in philosophy and a bachelor of education from Saint Mary's University.

Mr. Curran has chaired the Provincial Court Education Committee and the Nova Scotia Adult and Youth Criminal Court Forms Committee. He is the past president of the Canadian Association of Provincial Court Judges, the Nova Scotia Provincial Judges Association and a past chair of the Legal Aid Commission.

In addition, last year, the term of John D. Comeau, chief judge of the family court, was extended for five years. That reappointment took effect on March 16.

Mr. Comeau has served as chief judge of the family court since May 2000 and on the bench of the family court since November 1981.

He was called to the bar in 1973 after graduating from St. Francis Xavier University and Dalhousie Law School. Until his appointment to the bench in 1981, he practiced in Digby at the firm of Albert and Comeau.

"Over the years, both Chief Judge Curran and Chief Judge Comeau have demonstrated their dedication to the law and to the people of Nova Scotia," said Mr. Clarke. "We are fortunate that we will continue to benefit from their insight and leadership."

The governor-in-council appoints the chief judge of the provincial and family court on the recommendation of a recruitment committee, which considers applications from current provincial court judges.

The committee is comprised of the chief justice of Nova Scotia as chair, the chief judge of the family court, the past chief judge of the provincial court, the president of the Association of Provincial Court Judges and a lay person without a law degree designated by the Minister of Justice.