The Honourable Moira C. Legere Sers, a Justice of the Supreme Court of Nova Scotia (Family Division), is retiring following a 50-year career in the law.

“Justice Legere Sers has had a long, exemplary career spanning five decades. Her dedication to family law, as a lawyer and judge, are truly deserving of celebration,” said the Honourable Deborah K. Smith, Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Nova Scotia. “On behalf of her colleagues on the Supreme Court, I wish her a happy, well-deserved retirement.”

Born in Sydney, Nova Scotia, Justice Legere Sers spent a portion of her adolescence in Bloemfontein, South Africa. She earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from St. Francis Xavier University in 1973, a Bachelor of Laws degree from Dalhousie University in 1976 and undertook Masters studies at the Atlantic School of Theology in 1978-79. She was admitted to the Nova Scotia Bar in 1977.

Justice Legere Sers began her legal career in private practice, before moving to in-house corporate legal counsel and then in a leadership position with Legal Aid. As a lawyer, she served on many committees of the Nova Scotia Barristers’ Society, including as Chair of the Legal Ethics Committee. She also served as Co-Chair of the Canadian Bar Association’s Corporate Lawyer’s Subsection, and with a variety of organizations including the Nova Scotia Association of Family Mediation (Chair), Family Mediation Canada, the Dartmouth Mayor’s Committee on Violence Against Women (Chair) and Pheonix House (Co-Chair).

She also contributed as a member of the Family Court Child Protection Committee, which prepared for the unification of the Family Courts.

Justice Legere Sers was appointed as a Judge of the Family Court in April 1993, becoming a Justice of the Supreme Court (Family Division) upon its creation in March 1999. She elected supernumerary status in 2016.

During her 33-year judicial career, she chaired the Provincial Court Judges Remuneration Committee and served as a Supreme Court of Nova Scotia delegate to the Canadian Superior Courts Judges Association.

Justice Legere Sers also contributed to the implementation of technological solutions and resources in the court system. She served as a member and Chair of the Superior Court Judges’ Technology Committee and a member of the Supreme Court of Nova Scotia Technology Committee. During her time on the Bench, she led the design and production of audio-visual education materials in English and Mi’kmaq for families involved with the Courts, as well as bilingual online educational video resources on the Rule of Law. She also led development of video links between the courts she served in Sydney, Port Hawkesbury, Antigonish and Halifax. She also served as the Superior Court Judges’ representative on the Canadian Judicial Council’s committee addressing cloud technology.

Justice Legere Sers’ retirement is effective April 16, 2026. As a supernumerary judge, her departure does not create a vacancy on the Supreme Court.