After 44 years working in Nova Scotia’s criminal justice system, The Hon. Judge Barbara Beach is looking forward to some well-deserved time in her garden.

The Provincial Court judge retired on Oct. 31, 2021, with almost 26 years on the Bench. For the last six years she presided exclusively on the Youth Criminal Justice Court in Halifax, what she describes as some of the most important work she has done as a judge.

“The Youth Criminal Justice Court operates on the premise that young people who come into conflict with the law have a greater chance at rehabilitation and so should be given every opportunity, within limits, to turn their lives around,” said The Hon. Pamela Williams, Chief Judge of the Provincial and Family Courts of Nova Scotia.

“Part of their rehabilitative success can rest on the interactions they have with the judge. That is the case with most accused individuals, but even more so with young people. Judge Beach has an innate ability to read and connect with the youth appearing in her courtroom, knowing when to be firm and when to be kind. There’s no question she has had a positive impact on many lives in this province. On behalf of all her colleagues on the Provincial Court, we thank her for her many years of service and wish her all the best in retirement.”

Judge Beach worked as a defence lawyer with Nova Scotia Legal Aid for 17 years before her appointment to the Provincial Court on Jan. 5, 1995.

Outside of her work in the courtroom, Judge Beach has been very involved in education programs for law students and judges, both in Nova Scotia and nationally. She has taught in the Criminal Clinic for third year students at Dalhousie Law School (now the Schulich School of Law) since 1987. She also volunteered her time speaking with young people participating in the Courts’ Justice Day Camp program for African Nova Scotian and Indigenous youth.

Judge Beach has held several positions with the Nova Scotia Provincial Court Judges Association, including President and Education Chair, and was a member of the Judicial Counselling Board. Judge Beach also served as Chair of the planning committee for the 2010 Canadian Association of Provincial Court Judges (CAPCJ) national conference and was a regular presenter at the CAPCJ New Judges School.

Internationally, Judge Beach has been a long-time member of the Canadian Chapter of the International Association of Women Judges (IAWJ). As part of her work with this organization, she developed the Speakers Bureau, which hosts evening roundtable events for female law students across the country.

Judge Beach has served on numerous community boards throughout her time on the Bench, most recently with Family SOS, an organization that takes a preventative approach to assisting families through developing parenting confidence and skills and providing child-centered programming.