New Bail Court Open
The newly opened bail court in Halifax will free up court time for trials and other proceedings. (Province of Nova Scotia / File)
Nova Scotia’s first dedicated bail court will improve efficiency and reduce backlogs and delays in the provincial court.
Located at the courthouse on Spring Garden Road in Halifax, the bail court is currently hearing matters from Halifax, both in person and virtually, and will soon expand to matters from Dartmouth. Bail hearings from more districts will be added over the next several months.
“Reducing backlog is a high priority for the Department, the judiciary and our justice partners,” said Becky Druhan, Attorney General and Minister of Justice. “By consolidating bail matters in one court, we are making the system more efficient and freeing up valuable court time for trials and other proceedings. This creates better opportunities for cases to be heard in a timely way, which strengthens fairness in the system and supports confidence in our courts.”
Preparations for the new court involved adding space and investing in staff and technology to support virtual hearings. A new provincial court judge was also appointed.
Recent investments in Nova Scotia Legal Aid, the presiding justices of the peace program, and new Crown prosecutor positions are helping to manage bail-related casework.
The new court reflects the government’s ongoing commitment to modernizing and making court processes more efficient.
Quotes:
“In the first two months, we’ve already started to see the positive impact a dedicated bail court has on scheduling and the efficient operation of the provincial court. By moving bail hearings to a single courtroom, valuable court time is made available to schedule other cases more quickly. I am confident this new court will have long-term benefits for all parties appearing before provincial court.”
— Perry Borden, Chief Judge of the Provincial Court of Nova Scotia
Quick Facts:
- judicial interim release, commonly known as bail, is used when a person is charged with a crime and, rather than being held in custody while awaiting trial, is released under certain conditions imposed by the court
- the bail court will be able to hear virtual bail matters from any location in Nova Scotia, increasing flexibility and accessibility
- from mid-June to August 20, the bail court operated 47 days and considered bail applications from 253 people
- there are now seven courtrooms operating at the provincial court on Spring Garden Road