Nova Scotia to establish bail court to ease backlogs

CITYnews halifax / By Mark Hodgins

In an effort to reduce backlogs in the court system, Nova Scotia is launching a bail court.

The court, to be based in the Halifax Regional Municipality, will handle all bail matters for the court system. Cases will be heard virtually from across the province.

“Moving bail to a specialized court will help streamline matters heard in other courtrooms and enable more trials to be held sooner, reducing the possibility of cases being dismissed without a trial,” said Justice Minister Brad Johns.

The Province said eight new positions that will be dedicated to operating the bail court. Four additional Presiding Justices of the Peace will also be appointed, and Legal Aid will receive an annual $227,000 grant to hire a new staff lawyer and support worker.

The Court said typically, provincial court judges have handled bail matters during regular business hours. Presiding Justices of the Peace sometimes did so outside of regular hours.

“Nova Scotia is long overdue for a bail court,” said The Hon. Perry F. Borden, Chief Judge of the Provincial Court of Nova Scotia. “It is not uncommon to have dozens of accused individuals in custody every day. These can be lengthy contested matters; having dedicated resources for bail hearings is a more efficient and effective approach that will have a positive impact on all areas of the criminal justice system.”