Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada announces judicial appointments in the province of Nova Scotia

OTTAWA, ON, Dec. 16, 2025 /CNW/ - The Honourable Sean Fraser, Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada and Minister responsible for the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency, today announced the following appointments under the judicial application process established in 2016. This process emphasizes transparency, merit, and the diversity of the Canadian population, and will continue to ensure the appointment of jurists who meet the highest standards of excellence and integrity.

The Honourable Bryna D. Hatt, a Judge of the Provincial Court of Nova Scotia in Pictou, is appointed a Judge of the Supreme Court of Nova Scotia in Pictou. Justice Hatt replaces Justice P.P. Rosinski (Halifax), who elected to become a supernumerary judge effective October 14, 2025. The Chief Justice will transfer Justice F. Hoskins (Pictou) into this vacancy. The vacancy is therefore located in Pictou.

Michelle M. Kelly, K.C., Partner at Cox & Palmer in Halifax, is appointed a Judge of the Supreme Court of Nova Scotia in Bridgewater. Justice Kelly replaces Justice D.A. Jamieson (Halifax), who was appointed Associate Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Nova Scotia effective November 5, 2025. The Chief Justice will transfer Justice D. Rowe (Bridgewater) into this vacancy. The vacancy is therefore located in Bridgewater.

Quote

"I wish Justices Hatt and Kelly every success as they take on their new roles. I am confident they will serve the people of Nova Scotia well as members of the Supreme Court of Nova Scotia."

-- The Hon. Sean Fraser, Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada and Minister responsible for the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency

Biographies

Justice Bryna D. Hatt was raised in Pictou County, Nova Scotia. She obtained a Bachelor of Arts, with joint Honours in Law in Society and Sociology from the University of New Brunswick, and a Bachelor of Laws from Dalhousie University. She later earned a Master of Laws from Osgoode Law School, York University. She was called to the Nova Scotia bar in 2008.

Justice Hatt was appointed a Judge of the Provincial Court of Nova Scotia in 2023. She served on the All-Courts Technology Committee and Canadian Association of Provincial Court Judges National Committee on the Law. As a lawyer, she was actively involved in Canadian Barristers Association, in both the provincial and national sections, and was on the Nova Scotia Supreme Court Liaison Committee. She practiced in the areas of aboriginal law, labour and employment law and civil litigation. She was a certified Workplace Investigator and taught Business Law at St. F.X. University.

Justice Michelle M. Kelly, K.C., was born and raised in Prince Edward Island before she left to earn her Bachelor of Arts degree from Queen's University in 2000 and her LLB from the University of New Brunswick in 2003. She was called to the Nova Scotia bar in 2004.

Justice Kelly articled with Cox Hansen O'Reilly Matheson (as it then was) and has spent her legal career as a litigator with that firm, now known as Cox & Palmer. She maintained a broad litigation practice, working on insurance defence matters, real property litigation, estate litigation, and construction litigation. She was appointed King's Counsel in 2021 and became a Fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers in 2024. 

Justice Kelly volunteered in her community with Alice House, an organization helping women and children flee intimate-partner violence and was the President of the Advisory Council on the Status of Women. She worked with the Nova Scotia Barrister's Society where she was President but also sat on various committees, including co-chairing the Gender Equity Committee. In 2023, she was named one of Canada's Top 25 Most Influential Lawyers in the Changemaker category.

Justice Kelly is proudly raising a fierce and driven daughter with her husband, a proud Jamaican. 

Quick Facts

• Federal judicial appointments are made by the Governor General, acting on the advice of the federal Cabinet and recommendations from the Minister of Justice.
• The Judicial Advisory Committees across Canada play a key role in evaluating judicial applications. There are 17 Judicial Advisory Committees, with each province and territory represented.

SOURCE Department of Justice Canada

Contacts: For more information, media may contact: Lola Dandybaeva, Manager of Media Relations, Office of the Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada and Minister responsible for the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency, 343-549-0347, [email protected]; Media Relations, Department of Justice Canada, 613-957-4207, [email protected]