After 11 years serving on the Supreme Court of Nova Scotia (Family Division), the Honourable Lee Anne MacLeod-Archer is retiring.

“Justice MacLeod-Archer has had an impressive legal and judicial career, maintaining a strong commitment to serving the people of Cape Breton. She has made tremendous contributions to our Court and her absence will be felt,” said the Honourable Deborah K. Smith, Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Nova Scotia. “On behalf of the Supreme Court of Nova Scotia, I wish Justice MacLeod-Archer all the best in her retirement.”

Justice MacLeod-Archer graduated from St. Francis Xavier University with a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1989. She went on to earn a Bachelor of Laws degree from Dalhousie University in 1992 and was called to the Nova Scotia Bar in 1993. She was designated Queen’s Counsel (now King’s Counsel) on December 27, 2012.

Justice MacLeod-Archer’s 22-year legal career was spent in private practice in Sydney, Nova Scotia. She was appointed to the Supreme Court of Nova Scotia (Family Division) on April 10, 2014, and has presided in Sydney since.

Justice MacLeod-Archer was a member of the Nova Scotia Barristers' Society, the Cape Breton Barristers' Society and the Canadian Association of University Solicitors. She has presented papers at numerous conferences, including for the National Judicial Institute and the Cape Breton Barristers’ Society.

She has been active in several community organizations, including having served on the board of governors of the Law Foundation of Nova Scotia. She is also a volunteer with Elderdog Canada and is a member of the Sydney Sunrise Rotary Club.

In retirement, Justice MacLeod-Archer plans to spend time with family, travel and work on her pickleball and golf games.

Justice MacLeod-Archer’s retirement is effective May 30, 2025. Because Justice MacLeod-Archer was a full-time judge when she retired, her departure creates a vacancy on the Supreme Court (Family Division).