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One of the co-chairs of the last two Progressive Conservative election campaigns is one of Nova Scotia’s newest judges.
Justice Minister Scott Armstrong announced Friday that Cameron MacKeen, along with Christa MacKinnon and Jennifer MacLellan, are the latest appointments to the bench of the Nova Scotia provincial court.
“Ms. MacKinnon, Mr. MacKeen and Ms. MacLellan have demonstrated high professional standards and their expertise will be a welcome addition to the provincial bench,” Armstrong, who is also attorney general, said in a statement.
“They will play a pivotal role in our justice system, ensuring fair, independent and timely access to justice for Nova Scotians.”
Varied professional experiences
According to a news release from the province, MacKinnon has been a practising lawyer in Nova Scotia since 1999 and has worked for Justice Canada, Tax Law Services, Nova Scotia Public Prosecution Services as a Crown attorney and, since 2023 as a federal prosecutor.
MacKinnon, who previously conducted court martial proceedings as a reservist with the Canadian Armed Forces, will preside in Sydney.
MacLellan was called to the Nova Scotia bar in 1995 and worked most recently as chief Crown attorney for Nova Scotia Public Prosecution Services in Halifax. She is an international Fellow of the National Attorneys General Training and Research Institute.
MacLellan will preside first in Sydney before moving to a rotation between courthouses in Truro, Shubenacadie and Pictou.
MacKeen covered the Nova Scotia Legislature for The Chronicle Herald before becoming a lawyer in 2003.
He worked in private practice and then joined Nova Scotia Legal Aid in 2013. In 2022, MacKeen became a managing lawyer for Legal Aid’s Halifax South office, the largest in the province. He will preside in Pictou.
Opposition MLAs raise concerns
MacKeen was also co-chair of the last two successful PC election campaigns that saw Premier Tim Houston and his team come to power in 2021 and win re-election in 2024, a fact that caught the attention of opposition politicians.
In a statement, Interim Liberal Leader Iain Rankin said MacKeen’s appointment “raises serious concerns about judicial independence.”
“Our judiciary must remain impartial and above partisan politics, yet this government has made a pattern of appointments that appear politically motivated. While we respect the qualifications of individuals, placing someone so closely tied to partisan politics in such a critical role undermines public confidence in the courts.”
Premier’s office responds
Houston’s office released a statement accusing Rankin of “a shameful drive-by smear” of MacKeen and “attacking legal aid lawyers and the Independent Advisory Committee on Provincial Judicial Appointments.”
The committee’s recommendations to cabinet are non-binding.
“Throughout Mr. MacKeen’s career he has served the underprivileged population and played a critical role in the justice system,” Houston’s press secretary, Catherine Klimek said in the statement.
“His perspective and experiences will serve our province well in his new role.”
NDP justice critic Suzy Hansen said in a statement that MacKeen’s appointment raises questions about the premier’s priorities and judicial independence.
“Even the perception of politically-motivated appointments could put the independence of the judiciary at risk,” she said. “No matter an individual’s qualifications, it’s vital that the government make decisions that ensure our courts remain free from partisan politics.”
Friday’s appointments fill the three remaining judicial vacancies in the province created by the retirements of judges James Burrill and Ann Marie Simmons and the appointment of Judge Bryna Hatt to the Supreme Court of Nova Scotia.
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