Nova Scotia chief justice says court still prioritizes public engagement and education
In its recently published annual report for 2025, the Nova Scotia Court of Appeal shared that court users filed 141 appeals, 95 of which were civil and 46 of which were criminal, representing a slight increase from the previous year.
According to a news release from the Nova Scotia courts, the annual report includes information on the appeal court’s proceedings, case loads, timelines, and the work of its judges and staff. The annual report found few, if any, scheduling delays in the appeal court.
“If you have an interest in the court system or ever had any questions about how the Court of Appeal operates, I invite you to take a few minutes to read through this report,” said Michael J. Wood, chief justice of Nova Scotia and its appeal court, in the news release.
The appeal court noted that this is the fourth year it has released its annual report to the public.
“Over the last four years, this annual report has become an important way for the Nova Scotia Court of Appeal to share information with the public about our work, caseloads, and timelines,” Wood said in the news release.
Wood said the appeal court continues to prioritize public engagement and education. Wood added that the annual report aims to help promote transparency and public accountability.
Reported data
The annual report for 2025 found that:
- The appeal court disposed of 75 appeals by judgment, down from 2024, when it dealt with 81 appeals by judgment
- Panels of judges presided over 74 appeal hearings and 12 standalone motion hearings, most of which were applications for leave to appeal decisions of the Workers’ Compensation Appeal Tribunal
- In 62 appeals, the panel reserved its decision and later released formal judgments
- For these 62 appeals, the panel issued all except one judgment within six months, with an average reserve time of one and a half months
- The appeal court devoted approximately 60 percent of its time to civil matters, such as those involving family law, appeals, and motions
- The appeal court dedicated around 40 percent of its time to criminal appeals and motions
Single chambers judges heard 405 motions, down from 475 in 2024 and the historic high of 670 in 2023. The annual report partly attributed this decrease to the appeal court’s policies implemented by partway through 2024.
According to the annual report, these changes affected the way criminal appeals commenced by prisoners without legal counsel progress via the appeal process, in an effort to make chambers practices more efficient and reduce unnecessary delays.
Of the 405 motions single chambers judges heard, they disposed of around 95 by order.
