The Nova Scotia Criminal Justice Association is a provincial, non-governmental association founded in 2006.
Our members include individuals working in all areas of the justice system as well as our partners in the fields of health, education, and social services.
We are involved in a range of activities aimed at promoting a humane, equitable and effective criminal justice system including our annual workshop and awards for students and service in the criminal justice system.
Our Goals
- Encourage cooperation among individuals and groups in Nova Scotia interested in resolving problems that derive from criminal and delinquent behavior;
- Promote awareness and understanding of current issues in Canadian criminal justice, including legislation, criminal justice services, public education, rehabilitation and victim resources;
- Foster and promote improved criminal justice programs, policies and legislation; and
- Acquire and disseminate information and knowledge about all aspects of criminal justice.
Our Bylaws
Our bylaws can be viewed in PDF format here
Our History
The Nova Scotia Criminology and Corrections Association was founded in the mid-1970s. This Association was very active in its early years, sponsoring regional and provincial workshops and hosting very successful CCJA Congresses in 1979 and 1989. The organization ceased activity in the late 90s as members retired.
In early 2005, at the urging of Willie Gibbs, then President of the CCJA, a meeting was called to assess interest in resurrecting the association. Participants resoundingly endorsed the establishment of the Nova Scotia Criminal Justice Association.
In November of 2005 a founding meeting was held and a provisional board was appointed including: Pamela Harrison, Verona Singer, Maria Franks, Cindy MacKinnon-North, Dan MacRury, Kit Waters, Fred Honsberger, Karen Meins and John McMullan. The group served as an interim executive committee creating a draft constitution and putting forward a slate of officers at the first annual meeting in March of 2006.
Since then we have remained active sponsoring workshops and training events, including a lecture by Professor Archie Kaiser of Dalhousie University “The Criminalization of People with Mental Health Problems on Nova Scotia: Opportunities for Innovation” in March 2006; Peacemaking Circle Training conducted by Kay Pranis and Jane Miller-Ashton in May 2006; and a major workshop Lessons from Nunn: A Collaborative Course in March 2007.
We sponsored the workshop Building the Crime Prevention Continuum: Where do you fit in? at Saint Mary’s University in April of 2008 and in March of 2009 we held another workshop: Seeking Social Justice: Aboriginal Encounters with the Justice System.
In April 2009, we were presented with the Canadian Bar Association Law Day award which honours, recognizes, and celebrates the contribution of organizations who:
- Foster greater public understanding of the Canadian justice system and the role of the Charter of Rights and Freedoms within that system;
- Encourage and promote access to justice;
- Inform and educate the public about the courts, law enforcement agencies, the justice system and the legal profession;
- Act as advocates on behalf of citizens in the Canadian justice system.
In October 2009, along with the Canadian Criminal Justice Association, we hosted over 400 delegates for the 2009 Canadian Congress: Problem-Solving Justice: What Problems? Whose Justice?
On April 30, 2010 the Association, again in partnership with the Justice Learning Centre and Saint Mary’s University presented a workshop entitled: African Nova Scotians and the Criminal Justice System: Conversations toward solutions.
Criteria For Appointment As A Board Member
Click hyperlink to open: NSCJA Board Criteria