Borden first African Nova Scotian to be chief judge of N.S. provincial court

Judge Perry Borden is the first African Nova Scotian to be named chief judge of the Nova Scotia provincial and family courts.

The appointment was announced Thursday by provincial Justice Minister Brad Johns.

Borden was appointed to the provincial court bench in 2020 after 13 years as a Crown attorney with the Nova Scotia Public Prosecution Service. His time as a Crown attorney included five years in the special prosecutions section, focusing on cybercrime, child pornography, child-luring and sexual offences.

Borden will begin a five-year term as chief judge Sunday, succeeding Pamela Williams, who will continue to sit as a judge.

“An efficient, well-run court system is important to Nova Scotians, and the chief judge plays an important role,” Johns said in a news release.

“Judge Borden is an experienced and well-respected judge, and our province is fortunate to have someone with his experience assuming the chief judge role. I’d also like to thank outgoing Chief Judge Pamela Williams for her service and contributions to the Nova Scotia provincial and family courts.”

Williams served two consecutive five-year terms as chief judge.

A release from the Nova Scotia judiciary said Borden is originally from north-end Halifax. He graduated from Dalhousie University’s Schulich law school in 2002 and was called to the Nova Scotia bar in November 2003.

Borden began his legal career as an associate lawyer with McGinty McCleave in Halifax. He joined the prosecution service in 2007 and rose to the position of senior Crown attorney by 2015.

As a lawyer, Borden spent countless hours giving back to his community and helping improve access to justice and legal services for historically marginalized groups, the release from the judiciary said.
 
In July 2020, he was one of two judges of African Nova Scotian descent appointed to the provincial and family courts. He has presided primarily in Halifax.

Cabinet appoints the chief judge based on the justice minister’s recommendation, which comes from a list of qualified candidates provided by a recruitment committee.

The committee was chaired by Justice David Farrar of the Nova Scotia Court of Appeal. The other members included provincial court judges Amy Sakalauskas and Rosalind Michie and layperson George Moody.