New Provincial and Family Court Judges Appointed

Christine Driscoll, QC, and D. Shane Russell are Nova Scotia’s newest provincial and family court judges. The appointments are effective immediately.

“Nova Scotians are fortunate to have these two respected individuals now sitting as judges on the provincial and family court. Both are experienced lawyers who care deeply about their communities and their province,” said Brad Johns, Attorney General and Minister of Justice. “Judge Driscoll and Judge Russell have demonstrated professional integrity, good character and outstanding contributions to the practice of law.”

Judge Driscoll is from Halifax and is a senior Crown attorney with the Public Prosecution Service of Nova Scotia. A graduate of the Dalhousie Schulich School of Law, she was called to the bar in 1996 and has practiced law for 25 years.

She is a part-time lecturer and mentor at the Schulich School of Law. She has also served as an instructor for the Nova Scotia Barristers’ Society bar admission course and is currently a member of the society’s gender equity committee.

Judge Russell, of Sydney, is co-counsel with the Desmond Fatality Inquiry. He is currently a senior Crown attorney with the Nova Scotia Public Prosecution Service and has been a Crown attorney since 2004.

Judge Russell is a 2003 graduate of the University of Manitoba Robson Hall Law School and has practiced law for 17 years. He is the past president of the Cape Breton Barristers' Society and past president of the Nova Scotia Crown Attorneys' Association. He served as a member the Nova Scotia Barristers' Society’s governing body and is a member of the society's gender equity committee and provincial court liaison committee.

The provincial court presides over most indictable offence charges under the Criminal Code. Family court provides a forum to hear family issues, including parenting and support, and child protection matters.

These appointments fill two of three vacancies on the bench.

Quick Facts:

• judges are selected from a list of candidates put forth by the Advisory Committee on Provincial Judicial Appointments, which includes two members of the Nova Scotia Barristers' Society, judges of the provincial and family courts, and four members appointed by the Minister of Justice
• the committee recommendations are based on criteria in the Guidelines for Provincial Judicial Appointments
• with these appointments, there are 17 female and 13 male judges sitting full time on the provincial and family courts; eight part-time judges also serve on the bench

Additional Resources:

More information on Nova Scotia courts is available at: https://www.courts.ns.ca/

Guidelines for Provincial Judicial Appointments: https://novascotia.ca/just/court_services/_docs/Guidelines_Provincial_Judicial_Appts_September_2016.pdf