HALIFAX/LANTZ: Lawyers Mark Scott, KC (King’s counsel), of Halifax and Brian Warcop of Lantz have been appointed judges of the Nova Scotia provincial court.
“Mr. Scott and Mr. Warcop are both highly respected lawyers who bring significant experience to the provincial bench and to the cases that will come before them,” said Attorney General and Justice Minister Becky Druhan.
“They will join our judiciary in service to Nova Scotians, reflecting our highest ideals of integrity, fairness and compassion.”
Mr. Scott was called to the Nova Scotia bar in December 1996 and has done criminal defence, appeals and per diem work for both the federal and provincial Crown.
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In 1998, he was appointed as a Crown attorney in the Halifax office of the Nova Scotia Public Prosecution Service, where he prosecuted a wide range of criminal offences.
Most recently, Mr. Scott served as chief Crown attorney of appeals and special prosecutions.
He has conducted more than 150 criminal appeals in both the Nova Scotia Court of Appeal and the Supreme Court of Canada and is a past president of the Nova Scotia Barristers’ Society.
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After being called to the Ontario bar, Mr. Warcop was appointed as an assistant Crown attorney in 2006 by the Ontario Ministry of the Attorney General.
He was called to the Nova Scotia bar in 2015 and worked as a Crown attorney with the public prosecution service from 2015 to 2016.
Mr. Warcop then became a partner with a private practice, where he represented clients in criminal matters and also acted as duty counsel for legal aid matters in Halifax.
More recently, he returned to work with the Nova Scotia Public Prosecution Service as a Crown attorney.
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The appointments will fill two vacancies after two provincial court judges were appointed to the Nova Scotia Supreme Court last fall.
Quick Facts:
– judges are selected by the government from a list of candidates recommended by a seven-member independent Advisory Committee on Provincial Judicial Appointments
– appointments to the bench are based on merit and professional excellence
– gender, language/bilingualism, racial and cultural diversity, geographical representation and commitment to public service are among the criteria for the appointment of judges
