AND THE AWARD GOES TO ..... ANNETTE BOUCHER

Annette Boucher, registrar of the Nova Scotia Court of Appeal and prothonotary of the Supreme Court of Nova Scotia has received the Premier's Award of Excellence for 2006.

The Award of Excellence is the highest honour of the Nova Scotia civil service. It recognizes civil servants for outstanding contributions or achievements.

Annette was the only individual to receive the honour. The other Awards went to four teams, including the Justice Enterprise Information Network (JEIN) team.

 

WHAT THEY SAY ABOUT ANNETTE:

Annette Boucher has enhanced the administration  of justice and the provision of French-language services within Nova Scotia and on a national basis. To those involved in litigation, Annette represents the face of patience and understanding as she guides them through this difficult and often confusing process.

In presenting the award at a ceremony on January 31, 2006, Premier John Hamm said, "Public service employees of the government of Nova Scotia are among the best in the world and it was time for us to recognize exceptional work."

The five 2006 recipients were selected out of 50 who were nonimated.

"The award winners," added Premier Hamm, "represent the many thousands of government employees who bring their skills and dedication to their public service roles every day."

 

WHAT WE SAY ABOUT ANNETTE:

In nominating Annette for the Premier's Award of Excellence, Chief Justice of the Court of Appeal, Michael MacDonald, said, "Tirelessly, day in day out Annette, serves the public with extreme competence, courtesy, patience and diligence; particularly when it comes to assisting self-represented litigants. Annette also serves the judiciary with equal dedication and ability. She accomplishes all this with boundless enthusiasm and a cheerful smile. Similarly Annette has demonstrated tremendous leadership by creating and following through on many innovative proposals to enhance the administration of justice and the provision of French language services in this Province."

Annette Boucher is a lawyer and member of the Nova Scotia Bar. As Registrar and Prothonotary, she is responsible for all court filings at the Law Courts in Halifax.

Annette has also been a keen leader and valuable resource in the current efforts to revise the Nova Scotia Civil Procedure Rules. She sits on the main Steering Committee as well as many other very active sub-committees. She also publishes a monthly article setting out "Tips and Hints" for court staff, members of the Barristers’ Society, and the general public and she conducts information sessions on the "administrative" functions of the court operation, for staff at the Law Courts building and for other interest groups .

Annette shares in the efforts of a number of other Bench, Bar, and Department of Justice committees as well; Court of Appeal Liaison, Supreme Court Criminal Liaison, Supreme Court Civil Liaison, Joint Rules, Media Liaison, Self-Representative Litigant, Brochures, and Costs and Fees.

And, of course, Annette is widely known for her dedicated work on issues relating to the French language. She has been instrumental in developing the first draft of the Department of Justice Plan for French Language Services. She represents the Department on the Inter-Departmental French Services Committee and on the Departmental, Provincial French Services, and Federal Provincial Working Group for Access to Justice in Both Official Languages.

Congratulations, Annette!