Premier says 4 new judges increase racial and gender diversity on bench

Premier Stephen McNeil announced Friday the appointment of four new provincial court judges, saying they improve gender balance and racial diversity on the Nova Scotia bench.

Here are Nova Scotia's four new judges:

Samuel Moreau

Samuel Moreau was a managing lawyer in the Port Hawkesbury office of Nova Scotia Legal Aid.

Rickcola Brinton

Rickcola Brinton was managing lawyer with the Nova Scotia Legal Aid office in Halifax. She has practised law for 15 years.

Amy Sakalauskas

Amy Sakalauskas is leaving a post with the provincial Justice Department where she practised in the child protection field.

Rosalind Michie

The fourth appointment is Rosalind Michie. She was a senior prosecutor in Digby.

The appointments bring the total number of full-time provincial and family court judges to 38; 18 of them are women.

Chief Judge Pam Williams welcomed the new appointments.

"The fact that several of these new judges come from diverse backgrounds is a bonus, because as we all know, a well-rounded judiciary that reflects the society and the people it serves goes a long way to increasing people's confidence in the legal system," Williams said in a statement.

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