News release

Attorney General Announces Judicial Appointment

Justice

Attorney General and Justice Minister Cecil Clarke has announced the appointment of Marci Lin Melvin as a judge to the family court and provincial court of Nova Scotia.

"Ms. Melvin brings many years of experience to the bench from her unique perspective," said Mr. Clarke. "She will serve Nova Scotians well, and will contribute to the fair and effective administration of justice."

Ms. Melvin was admitted to the Nova Scotia Bar in 1982. She was a staff lawyer with Nova Scotia Legal Aid in Yarmouth where she specialized in family law. She has 24 years of experience in practice. She will upgrade her French-language capacity to hear cases in French.

She is also a published author of six children's books and one historical romance. All proceeds of her books have been donated to children's charities and the Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation.

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 laypersons 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/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 .