New Judge Appointed to Provincial Court

Federal Crown attorney Angela Caseley is Nova Scotia’s newest provincial court judge.

The appointment is effective immediately.

“Ms. Caseley is an experienced and well-respected lawyer,” said Attorney General and Justice Minister Brad Johns. “Nova Scotians are fortunate to have someone of her calibre presiding over provincial court matters. She is a person of integrity, good character and has made important contributions to the practice of law.”

Ms. Caseley, of Bedford, joined the Public Prosecution Service of Canada in 2000 and during her career, focused on organized crime, proceeds of crime, establishment of alternative courts and administration of the agent supervision program. She was a senior counsel and team lead and chaired the equity, diversity and inclusion committee. Outside the office, she has made significant contributions as an active volunteer in numerous community organizations.

Ms. Caseley is a graduate of Dalhousie Law School and was called to the bar in British Columbia in 1993 and in Nova Scotia in 1999. She began her legal career as a defence lawyer before joining the BC Prosecution Service. She returned to Nova Scotia in 1999, joining Beveridge, Lambert and Duncan, where she practised criminal defence and civil litigation before joining the federal prosecution service.

The provincial court presides over most indictable and summary offence charges under the Criminal Code.

Quick Facts:

• judges are selected by the government from a list of candidates recommended by the seven-member independent Advisory Committee on Provincial Judicial Appointments, which includes two members of the Nova Scotia Barristers’ Society, a sitting judge of the Provincial Court, three public representatives and a retired member of the judiciary as Chair, all appointed by the Minister of Justice
• appointments to the bench are based on merit and professional excellence
• gender, language/bilingualism, racial and cultural diversity, geographical representation and commitment to public service are among the criteria for the appointment of judges
• with this appointment, there are 18 female and nine male judges sitting full-time on the provincial court; 14 part-time judges also serve on the bench; four judges are bilingual
• there is currently one vacancy on the provincial court

Additional Resources:

The Provincial Judicial Appointments Guidelines and the application form to apply to become a provincial court judge are available at: https://novascotia.ca/just/Court_Services/

Information on Nova Scotia courts: https://www.courts.ns.ca/