Jennifer Stairs, Director of Operations for the Nova Scotia Judiciary, is the 2024 recipient of the Canadian Media Lawyers Association’s (CMLA) Freedom of Expression Award. The award ceremony was held as part of the Association’s annual conference on October 25, 2024, in Toronto.

The CMLA Freedom of Expression Award is awarded every year to a person who has promoted and protected freedom of expression and freedom of the press in Canada. Ms. Stairs previously served for eight years as the Director of Communications for the Nova Scotia Judiciary.

In honouring Ms. Stairs with the award, the CMLA noted that she has “supported a relationship of mutual respect and cooperation between Nova Scotia courts and the media, and facilitated an ethos of court transparency,” with one judge noting her work is “the gold standard in Canada.”

“On behalf of the Courts of Nova Scotia, I want to congratulate Jennifer for this well-deserved award and national recognition,” said the Hon. Perry F. Borden, Chief Judge of the Provincial Court of Nova Scotia and Chair of the Council of Nova Scotia Chiefs. “Anyone who has worked with Jennifer knows she is a smart and enthusiastic individual who holds a deep respect for the open-court principle and the rights and work of journalists. Jennifer has developed a well-earned reputation among journalists, lawyers, and judges for her leadership and commitment to openness and transparency, as well as judicial independence.”

Jennifer is a former journalist, having worked as a reporter with CBC and the Chronicle Herald, including several years assigned to covering the courts. As Director of Communications for the Nova Scotia Judiciary, Ms. Stairs served as a key link between reporters and judges through the Court’s Media Liaison Committee. As a member of that Committee, she was instrumental in modernizing the Court’s Media Guidelines.

Through her work with the Nova Scotia Courts, Jennifer has served as a court communications expert for Federal Judicial Affairs, working on Technical Assistance Partnerships with judges, journalists, and court staff in Ukraine, Mongolia, and Moldova.