The new bail court, located in the capital of Halifax, heard bail applications from 253 people between mid-June and Aug. 20, according to a recent news release from Nova Scotia’s government.
“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,” states the release. “Bail hearings from more districts will be added over the next several months.”
A government spokesperson confirmed the court’s opening day was June 16.
Perry Borden, Chief Justice of the Provincial Court of Nova Scotia
“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,” he said. “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.”
The release notes that preparations for the new bail court involved “adding space and investing in staff and technology to support virtual hearings,” as well as appointing a new provincial court judge.
“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,” it states.
Nova Scotia Justice Minister Becky Druhan spoke of reducing the backlog currently experienced by Nova Scotia’s courts.
“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,” states Druhan. “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.”
A request to Nova Scotia’s government for additional details about the bail court was not returned by press time.
In February 2024, when the province announced it would be establishing the new bail court, a news release noted that eight new justice department positions would be dedicated to running the court.
At the time, Chief Justice Borden said Nova Scotia was “long overdue” for a bail court.
“It is not uncommon to have dozens of accused individuals in custody every day,” he added. “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.”
A separate information page stated that Nova Scotia Legal Aid would receive an “annual grant” of $227,000 to help support the increase in casework; the money would be used to hire a new staff lawyer and a court support worker.
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