KENTVILLE - Veteran Annapolis Valley defence lawyer Chris Manning has been appointed the province’s newest provincial and family court judge.
The province announced the appointment June 4.
Manning has practised criminal law for 33 years, starting with Nova Scotia Legal Aid after he was called to the bar in 1985. He later joined a small private firm before opening his own small practice, Manning and Associates, in Kentville.
Manning, a graduate of the Dalhousie Law School, was a highly respected defence lawyer who represented clients across the province, including in numerous high-profile cases.
When he recently announced his retirement from practice as of this month, there was quiet speculation that he might have been headed for the bench. He replaces Associate Chief Judge Alan Tufts, who recently retired after two decades in the judiciary.
Tufts will continue to serve as a part-time judge.
Manning’s appointment brings the province’s provincial and family courts to a full complement of 35 full-time and 11 part-time judges.
“It is always a great day when we receive news of a new judge,” Pamela Williams, the chief judge of the provincial and family courts, said in a news release. “It’s even better when that new appointment is someone with Judge Manning’s experience, commitment and character. I want to wish our new colleague all the best in this stage of his legal career. Being a judge can be challenging work, but it is also tremendously rewarding.”
Nova Scotia Judiciary spokeswoman Jennifer Stairs said it hasn't been decided yet if Manning will serve in Kentville and Windsor, where Tufts sat, or elsewhere in the province. She said Williams will determine that in the next few weeks.
“Mr. Manning is an experienced and highly respected lawyer with deep roots in the community,” Mark Furey, the province’s attorney general and justice minister, said in a separate release. “Nova Scotians are fortunate to have someone of his talent and experience presiding over provincial and family court matters.”
Manning served as a mentor in the Nova Scotia Barristers’ Society mentorship program and also served on the society’s hearing committee. He was also on the roster of the province’s new Free Independent Legal Advice Program for victims of sexual assault.
The province is expected to announce which judge will take over Tuft’s position as associate chief judge at a later date.
