Increase in Age Limit Proposed for Review Board Members

The province has introduced legislation to increase the age limit on the term of office for members of the Nova Scotia Utility and Review Board.

An amendment to the Utility and Review Board Act will allow members of the board to hold office on good behaviour until they reach 70 years of age, instead of 65.

The Utility and Review Board is an independent quasi-judicial body which has both regulatory and adjudicative functions. It reports to the legislature through the minister of finance.

The board currently has eight full-time members and one part-time member who hear appeals and applications on subjects ranging from energy regulation to public passenger transportation.

Government selects board members based on an appointment process similar to that used for judges.

The amendment proposed would bring Utility and Review Board term limits in line with those used for provincially appointed judges. The Provincial Court Act was amended in 2004 to allow provincial judges to serve up to the age of 70.