• N.S. NDP remove party whip following post about France protests

  Source: Nova Scotia - Halifax & Regional News
  Date: 2026-10-21 22:41:28.0
  Tags: [Nova Scotia, Governance, Labour, Justice]

  The Nova Scotia New Democratic Party removed MLA Paul Wozney from his role as party whip following a social media post in which he called for France-style civil unrest to oppose government legislation. Wozney's comments were made in response to a legal remedy concerning Bill 148, the Public Services Sustainability (2015) Act, which was previously ruled unconstitutional by the Nova Scotia Supreme Court. NDP Leader Claudia Chender condemned the remarks as careless and affirmed that the party unequivocally denounces violence or suggestions of violence in civic life.

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• Proposed remedy for workers affected by Bill 148 could cost N.S. $470 million

  Source: Nova Scotia - Halifax & Regional News
  Date: 2026-10-19 20:15:49.0
  Tags: [Nova Scotia, Labour, Finance, Justice, Governance]

  The Nova Scotia government has agreed to pay an estimated $470 million in compensation to roughly 81,000 public sector employees following a court ruling on Bill 148. Introduced in December 2015 by the former Liberal government and enacted in 2017, the legislation imposed four-year wage restrictions and eliminated long-term service awards. In February, Nova Scotia Supreme Court Justice Ann Smith ruled that Bill 148 infringed upon public servants' Charter rights, ordering a legal remedy. Nova Scotia Minister of Finance John Lohr stated that the $470 million settlement cost is reflected in the 2025–26 provincial budget, though Justice Smith must still give final sign-off on the proposed remedy.

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• Top court sets sentencing framework for cases involving Indigenous offenders, victims

  Source: CBC Politics
  Date: 2026-10-09 15:39:50.0
  Tags: [National, Nova Scotia, Justice, Indigenous]

  In a 5-4 judgment, the Supreme Court of Canada established a new sentencing framework for cases where an Indigenous offender commits a crime against an Indigenous intimate partner, mandating that judges harmonize principles regarding both the over-imprisonment of Indigenous offenders and the vulnerability of Indigenous women and girls to violence. The ruling was delivered in the case of a Mi'kmaw man sentenced to five years for aggravated assault in Nova Scotia, which the Nova Scotia Court of Appeal reduced to three years. The Supreme Court upheld the three-year sentence, ruling that the original sentencing judge failed to properly account for the offender's severe mental health challenges and the recommendations of a sentencing circle.

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• Child safety advocate says N.S. changes to car seat rules makes province ‘leader’ in country

  Source: Nova Scotia - Halifax & Regional News
  Date: 2026-10-07 18:27:25.0
  Tags: [Nova Scotia, Transportation, Public Safety, Justice, Governance]

  The Government of Nova Scotia has released the first set of regulations under its new Traffic Safety Act, replacing the 1920s-era Motor Vehicle Act, effective October 19. The updated rules establish Canada's first age-based minimums for children's car seats, requiring children to remain in rear-facing car seats until at least age two and harnessed car seats until age four. Additionally, the regulatory framework modernizes distracted driving rules, creates inclusive cyclist rules, and establishes clearer guidelines for emerging vehicle types such as electric scooters.

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• N.S. privacy commissioner questions transparency around cabinet records

  Source: Nova Scotia - Halifax & Regional News
  Date: 2026-10-02 15:59:06.0
  Tags: [Nova Scotia, Governance, Justice]

  Nova Scotia Information and Privacy Commissioner David Nurse criticized upcoming provincial legislative changes taking effect in April that will completely shield all provincial cabinet records from freedom of information requests. Nurse stated in his annual report that the new rules represent a significant reduction in transparency compared to current provisions, which already limit public access to the substance of cabinet deliberations while allowing background information to be released. He noted that Nova Scotia's approach diverges from practices in other provinces like British Columbia and Newfoundland and Labrador, and asserted there was no valid policy justification for the dramatic restrictions.

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• Three Nova Scotia communities to launch crime prevention projects

  Source: Nova Scotia - Halifax & Regional News
  Date: 2026-09-17 18:29:37.0
  Tags: [Nova Scotia, Municipal, Public Safety, Justice, Social Services]

  The Nova Scotia government announced it will allocate $550,000 in federal funding from Public Safety Canada to three municipalities to establish tailored crime prevention projects. Provincial Justice Minister Scott Armstrong confirmed the initiative will help communities address complex local challenges such as mental health, addiction, housing instability, and poverty. In New Glasgow, Mayor Nancy Dicks noted the funding arrives as the town addresses escalating public safety issues and debates the future of a local 20-bed emergency homeless shelter.

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• Lawyer says new bill could cause ramped up surveillance of vulnerable Nova Scotians

  Source: Nova Scotia - Halifax & Regional News
  Date: 2026-09-14 19:16:15.0
  Tags: [Nova Scotia, Justice, Public Safety, Governance]

  The Nova Scotia provincial government is facing criticism from Dalhousie Legal Aid over proposed amendments to the Safer Communities and Neighbourhoods Act introduced in an omnibus bill. The legislative changes would permit individuals who do not live in a specific area to submit anonymous property complaints regarding suspected criminal activity, while also expanding the act's scope to encompass organized crime and human trafficking. Legal aid lawyer Nadia Shivji warned that the changes could increase surveillance and be weaponized against vulnerable populations, including Black, Indigenous, and immigrant communities. Justice Minister Scott Armstrong defended the proposed legislation, stating it is necessary to assist police in tackling higher-level crime and expressing his belief that it will not disproportionately affect marginalized people.

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• Nova Scotia to expand protections for people affected by AI-generated intimate images

  Source: Nova Scotia - Halifax & Regional News
  Date: 2026-09-11 20:06:46.0
  Tags: [Nova Scotia, Justice, Public Safety, Technology]

  The Nova Scotia government introduced a new bill on September 11, 2026, to amend the provincial Intimate Images and Cyber-protection Act, expanding protections for individuals affected by AI-generated or altered intimate images created without their consent. Provincial Justice Minister Scott Armstrong stated that the proposed statutory changes will ensure victims do not have to prove that intimate images were shared without their consent. This legislative amendment aims to streamline the process for victims applying for court orders to have non-consensual AI-generated images taken down.

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• N.S. mother vows to finish late son’s fight for improved income support for tent residents

  Source: Nova Scotia - Halifax & Regional News
  Date: 2026-09-09 20:16:42.0
  Tags: [Nova Scotia, Housing, Social Services, Justice, Governance]

  Following an August 5, 2026 Nova Scotia Court of Appeal ruling establishing that a tent qualifies as accommodation for income assistance, the Nova Scotia provincial government updated its legislation and disability supplement regulations to exclude people living in tents from accessing enhanced financial support. In response, the provincial NDP introduced a private member's bill titled Bradley’s Law—named after Bradley Lowe, a 30-year-old who died at a Halifax encampment in 2023 during a legal challenge over income assistance rates—to mandate that financial support be provided regardless of housing status. Human rights lawyer Vince Calderhead has petitioned the Nova Scotia Human Rights Commission to investigate the provincial policy change as a human rights violation.

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• ‘Cruel’: Legal community questions N.S. move to exclude tents from higher income assistance

  Source: Nova Scotia - Halifax & Regional News
  Date: 2026-09-01 21:51:03.0
  Tags: [Nova Scotia, Housing, Social Services, Justice]

  Following a Nova Scotia Court of Appeal ruling on August 5, 2026, which established that tents count as legal accommodations for unhoused individuals to access higher income assistance, the provincial government revised its income assistance regulations on August 25, 2026. The regulatory amendments repealed the definition of a "home" and limited it to residential units with a kitchen and bathroom or municipally-approved rooming houses, effectively excluding tents from enhanced support rates. Human rights lawyer Vince Calderhead and Dalhousie Legal Aid criticized the change as discriminatory and harmful to unhoused individuals, while the province stated the amendments provide clearer and more consistent eligibility criteria.

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• Committee releases final report into 2020 Nova Scotia mass shooting

  Source: Nova Scotia - Halifax & Regional News
  Date: 2026-08-31 20:13:52.0
  Tags: [Nova Scotia, National, Public Safety, Justice, Governance]

  The Progress Monitoring Committee released its third and final annual report monitoring the 130 recommendations stemming from the 2023 public inquiry into the April 2020 Nova Scotia mass shooting. Chaired by Myra Freeman, the independent committee noted that approximately 40 recommendations remain to be fully addressed, with ongoing responsibility now transitioning to the governments of Nova Scotia and Canada, alongside the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP). The 72-page final report highlights progress in regulatory oversight, policing reforms, and gender-based violence prevention, while acknowledging that critical work remains regarding mental health supports and systemic cultural shifts.

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