News release

Justice Minister Announces Domestic Violence Court

Justice

A specialized court that will improve the lives of families affected by domestic violence will open in Sydney on Thursday, June 21.

The domestic violence court is a first for Nova Scotia and will offer quicker program access for those who commit abuse, so they can change their behaviour and prevent future violence. It will also help keep victims and their children safe.

"Domestic violence is a very serious issue affecting thousands of Nova Scotians," said Justice Minister Ross Landry, today, June 18. "In my former job as a police officer, far too often I saw the devastating consequences of domestic violence. We need to do things differently to stop the cycle of abuse, and that is why we are piloting a domestic violence court program."

The domestic violence court is a two-year pilot program, serving people in Cape Breton Regional Municipality.

"The program will not create new cases, but will deal with existing cases differently," said Dan MacRury, chief Crown attorney with the Public Prosecution Service in Cape Breton. "It is a more collaborative response to domestic violence than we normally see in traditional court rooms, and it requires a commitment to change on the part of the offender."

The court will sit one day at week at the Sydney Justice Centre. The accused must plead guilty to an offence and then attend designated domestic violence programs to be eligible.

People will be assessed to determine which program is most appropriate. Program options range from five- and 10-week educational programs to a 25-week therapeutic program. The court will monitor progress and consider it during sentencing.

Representatives from the Cape Breton Transition House, Every Woman's Centre, Second Chance Society Men's Intervention Program, Elizabeth Fry Society, Family Services of Eastern Nova Scotia, Mi'kmaw Family Services, Mi'kmaw Legal Support Network, Cape Breton Regional Police, RCMP, Public Prosecution Service, Legal Aid Commission, various government departments and local community organizations helped with court planning.

"We are very excited to see Nova Scotia's domestic violence court become a reality," said Mark Sherlock, executive director of Second Chance Society Men's Intervention Program. "This court model will give individuals the opportunity to take responsibility for their behaviour, learn from it, and then change it for the better."

A domestic violence court program was a key action of the Domestic Violence Action Plan, released in December 2010. For more information on the plan, visit http://nsdomesticviolence.ca . For more information on the court, visit www.gov.ns.ca/just.