News Release

From the Prime Minister's Web Site (http://www.pm.gc.ca/)

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PM announces Nova Scotia judicial appointment

February 4, 2011
Ottawa, Ontario

Prime Minister Stephen Harper today announced the following appointment:

The Honourable Lawrence I. O'Neil, a judge of the Supreme Court of Nova Scotia, as Associate Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Nova Scotia, Family Division. He replaces the Honourable Justice R.F. Ferguson, who elected to become a supernumerary judge as of January 1, 2011.

Mr. Justice O'Neil received a bachelor of arts degree from St. Francis Xavier University in 1976, a bachelor of laws from Dalhousie University in 1979, and completed one year of graduate studies in energy law at the University of Alberta from 1982 to 1983. He was admitted to the Bar of Nova Scotia in 1979 and the Bar of Ontario in 1992.

Mr. Justice O'Neil was appointed to the Supreme Court of Nova Scotia in 2007 and assigned to the Family Division. Prior to his appointment he had been a lawyer with Nova Scotia Legal Aid in Antigonish since 1999. He was appointed Queen's Counsel in May 2005. He had been an associate with Pickup & MacDowell from 1997 to 1999; a self-employed consultant and publisher on the work of Parliament from 1993 to 1996; he was Senior Advisor to the Prime Minister of Canada from 1990 to 1993; sole practitioner from 1989 to 1990, member of Parliament from 1984 to 1988, and Executive Assistant to the Premier of Nova Scotia from 1980 to 1982. His main areas of practice were criminal and family law, and litigation.

Mr. Justice O'Neil was an adjudicator for the Small Claims Court of Nova Scotia from 1998 to 2007. He was an instructor at St. Francis Xavier University from 2001 to 2004 and a legal advisor for the Nova Scotia Electoral Boundaries Commission in 2003. He was President of the Strait Area Bar Society in 1998 and a member of the Board of Directors of the Strait of Canso Superport Corporation from 2003 to 2007. He was an author of various publications focusing on the work of Parliament.

This appointment takes effect immediately.

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The Prime Minister's Office - Communications
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