Judicial Training on Sexual Assault and Bias

Summary#

Keira’s Law would require the head judge of Nova Scotia’s Provincial Court to set up training for new judges and ongoing education for current judges. The goal is to help judges better understand sexual assault law, intimate partner violence, and how bias and systemic discrimination can affect people in court.

• Requires the Chief Judge to create education courses for judges each year.
• Topics may include sexual assault law, intimate partner violence, coercive control (patterns of control, isolation, and fear in relationships), and social context (how systemic racism and discrimination affect people).
• Lets the Chief Judge consult survivors and support groups, including Indigenous leaders and communities, when designing courses.
• Requires an annual report listing the courses offered, what they covered, when they ran, and how many judges attended.
• The Attorney General must table this report in the House of Assembly each year (or file it with the Clerk if the House is not sitting).

What it means for you#

• Survivors of sexual assault or intimate partner violence

  • Judges would have more training on trauma, myths about assault, and warning signs of coercive control.
  • Court hearings may feel more respectful and informed, with fewer harmful assumptions.
  • Greater clarity on how the law applies in these cases.

• Families and the public

  • More consistent decisions from judges in sensitive cases.
  • Increased trust that the courts understand real-life risks in family and partner violence.

• Indigenous communities and other marginalized groups

  • Courses can include social context and may include input from Indigenous leaders and community groups.
  • Training aims to reduce bias and improve cultural understanding in court.

• Judges and court staff

  • New and ongoing courses would be available on key topics.
  • Attendance numbers will be tracked and reported each year.

• Transparency for everyone

  • A public report each year will outline what training was offered and how many judges took part.

Expenses#

No publicly available information.

Proponents' View#

• Better-informed judges will make fairer, safer decisions in sexual assault and family violence cases.
• Training on coercive control helps judges recognize non-physical patterns that put victims at risk.
• Including survivors and Indigenous leaders makes the education practical, respectful, and grounded in lived experience.
• Annual public reporting increases transparency and accountability.
• Education is a low-cost way to improve courtroom outcomes and public trust.

Opponents' View#

• The bill does not require judges to attend specific courses, so the impact may be limited.
• Some worry that outside groups shaping courses could affect judicial neutrality.
• Adds administrative work and possible costs without changing the law on sentencing or protection orders.
• Training alone may not fix deeper issues like underreporting, delays, or resource gaps in the justice system.