The Provincial Court of Nova Scotia is welcoming two new judges to the Bench. The Hon. Judge Christine Driscoll and The Hon. Judge D. Shane Russell, both Senior Crown Counsel with the Nova Scotia Public Prosecution Service, were appointed earlier today.

“This is an exciting day for all our judges, especially our newest members of the Bench,” said The Hon. Pamela S. Williams, Chief Judge of the Provincial and Family Courts. “We are extremely fortunate to have individuals of their caliber and experience joining our ranks. Most importantly, Nova Scotians will be better served with more judges available to hear matters and help address the backlog of cases that has grown since the onset of the pandemic.”

The Hon. Judge Christine Driscoll

Judge Christine Driscoll of Halifax, N.S., is a graduate of the Schulich School of Law at Dalhousie University. She was called to the Bar in 1996 and has practiced law for 25 years. She received her Queen’s Counsel designation in 2019 and earlier this year, was one of three Nova Scotia prosecutors recognized by the Federal-Provincial-Territorial Heads of Prosecutions Committee for outstanding achievement in a prosecution.

At the time of her appointment, Judge Driscoll was a part-time lecturer and mentor for the Criminal Clinic course and a former co-instructor for the Criminal Trial Practice at the Schulich School of Law. She has also served as an instructor for the Nova Scotia Barristers’ Society Bar Admission Course and was a member of the society’s Gender Equity Committee.

The Hon. Judge D. Shane Russell

Judge D. Shane Russell of Sydney, N.S., graduated from the University of Manitoba Robson Hall Law School in 2003 and has a Bachelor of Science Advance Major Psychology from Dalhousie University. He has practiced law for 17 years, all of those as a Crown Attorney. Further to his work with the Public Prosecution Service, he was most recently working as co-counsel with the Desmond Fatality Inquiry.

Judge Russell is the past President of the Cape Breton Barristers' Society and past President of the Nova Scotia Crown Attorneys' Association. He served as a member of Bar Council, which is the governing body of the Nova Scotia Barristers' Society. In addition, he was a member of the Nova Scotia Barristers' Society's Gender Equity Committee and Provincial Court Liaison Committee.

Today’s judicial appointments fill two of the three vacancies on the Provincial Court. There are now 15 female and 12 male judges on the full-time Bench, as well as eight per diem (part-time) judges.