Province Appoints Two Judges to the Provincial Court

Halifax lawyers Ian Hutchison and James Van Wart have been appointed judges of the Nova Scotia provincial court.

“Ensuring that all provincial court vacancies are filled is essential for an effective and efficient justice system,” said Attorney General and Justice Minister Barbara Adams. “These appointees are respected lawyers with vast legal and community service experience. They will support efforts to reduce the time required for Nova Scotians to obtain access to justice.”

Mr. Hutchison graduated from the University of Glamorgan in Wales in 1999 and was admitted to practise as a lawyer in England and Wales in 2001. He received his national certificate of accreditation in 2007 and was admitted to the Nova Scotia bar that year. He has owned a law firm and practised extensively in the area of criminal defence. His experience includes representing survivors of residential schools and defending Nova Scotians accused of serious crimes. He has also appeared before all levels of Nova Scotia courts.

Mr. Van Wart was called to the bars of British Columbia in 2002, Yukon in 2003 and Nova Scotia in 2009. He has 20 years of criminal law experience. He served as a youth justice prosecutor with the Nova Scotia Public Prosecution Service and regularly appeared before all levels of court in Nova Scotia. Mr. Van Wart was also commission counsel for the Mass Casualty Commission and taught youth criminal justice part-time at Dalhousie University’s Schulich School of Law.

Quick Facts:

• the establishment of the new bail court and an upcoming retirement prompted the need for these appointments
• judges are selected by the government from a list of candidates recommended by a seven-member independent Advisory Committee on Provincial Judicial Appointments
• 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

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/

News release – Province to Establish New Bail Court: https://news.novascotia.ca/en/2024/02/08/province-establish-new-bail-court