News release

Attorney General Announces Judicial Appointment

Justice

Attorney General and Justice Minister Cecil Clarke appointed bilingual lawyer Theodore Tax to the position of provincial and family court judge today, Oct. 1.

"Mr. Tax has more than 30 years of legal experience, is extremely qualified to serve Nova Scotians, and contribute to the fair and effective administration of justice," said Mr. Clarke.

Mr. Tax has been the senior director of the Atlantic region for the federal Department of Justice since 2000. He has conducted cases before the Supreme Court of Canada, two courts of Appeal, the superior trial courts of all Atlantic provinces and the Canadian Human Rights Tribunal.

Mr. Tax also served with the department in Ottawa and Winnipeg. He graduated from the University of Manitoba is 1977 with a Bachelor of Laws.

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, the chief judges of the provincial and family courts, and four lay persons 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 including maintenance, custody, access, violence between spouses or between parent and child, and child protection matters. More information on Nova Scotia courts is available on the website at www.courts.ns.ca .