Crown Attorney Receives John Dunlop Award
May 19, 2021 - 8:59 AM
Senior Crown attorney Patrick Young is the first-ever prosecutor to receive the Nova Scotia Criminal Justice Association’s John Dunlop Memorial Award.
The honour is given annually after a nominations process for outstanding contributions to the Nova Scotia justice system and the community.
Mr. Young joined the Pictou office of the Nova Scotia Public Prosecution Service in 2010. A 2005 graduate of the University of New Brunswick Law School, he began his career in Prince Edward Island and then joined the Alberta Crown Prosecution Service.
Mr. Young is a member of the Nova Scotia Barristers’ Society Council and sits on several of its committees. He was president of the Pictou County Barristers’ Society from 2016 to 2020 and secretary-treasurer from 2011 to 2016.
Director of Policy Development and Education Appointed
April 15, 2021 - 1:00 PM
Veteran prosecutor Susan MacKay has been appointed director of policy development and education at the Nova Scotia Public Prosecution Service (PPS), a new position that will serve to enhance the organization’s infrastructure and operations.
“Crown attorneys are responsible for making a multitude of decisions which impact the lives of all Nova Scotians,” says Martin Herschorn, director of Public Prosecutions. “Policies, together with education, are how standards for these decisions are communicated to Crown attorneys. As laws change and new types of crime emerge, there is an ongoing need to develop and change policies and to continually educate Crown attorneys. This position is critical to ensuring the PPS retains its leading edge in the exercise of prosecutorial discretion, and I’m pleased someone with Ms. MacKay’s skills will fill this new role.”
This many people have been charged with violating Nova Scotia s COVID-19 protocols
Data obtained by CBC News details the number of people who have been charged with violating COVID-19 protocols in Nova Scotia since the pandemic began in March.
Social Sharing
Summary offence tickets were issued to 613 different people, 3 businesses from March 24 to Dec. 14
Posted: Dec 21, 2020 6:00 AM AT | Last Updated: December 21, 2020
According to the Nova Scotia Public Prosecution Service, 257 cases of violating COVID-19 public health orders have been processed so far by the courts.(Kate Bueckert/CBC)
More than 600 people have been charged with violating COVID-19 health orders in Nova Scotia since the pandemic began, with 18 people facing more than one charge.
Posted: Dec 18, 2020 12:36 PM AT | Last Updated: December 18, 2020
The effort to schedule jury trials in the Halifax area resumed Friday. (Craig Paisley/CBC)
The delicate balancing act required to schedule jury trials in the Halifax area resumed Friday.
Dozens of trials were cancelled when the COVID-19 pandemic struck in March. Since then, additional cases have made their way through the lower courts and are now awaiting scheduling as well.
Jury trials cannot be held in The Law Courts in downtown Halifax because the building does not meet pandemic restrictions on crowd sizes. Jury selection requires hundreds of people to gather.
Two alternate courtrooms are being built in the Burnside Industrial Park in Dartmouth but won t be ready until March.
Despite being scared of her ex, Serrece Winter is relieved to have testified against him. She says steps taken to ensure she felt safe were helpful, and she hopes other victims of domestic violence feel empowered as she now feels.