The Honourable Ann Marie Simmons, Judge of the Provincial Court of Nova Scotia, has retired after a nearly 40-year career.

Judge Simmons was appointed to the Provincial and Family Courts in November 2017 and presided in Halifax.

“True justice lies not merely within statutes, but within the wisdom, integrity, and humanity of those charged with applying them. Judge Simmons has always reflected those traits in her time on the Bench,” said the Honourable Perry F. Borden, Chief Judge of the Provincial Court of Nova Scotia. “On behalf of her colleagues on the Provincial Court, I wish Judge Simmons all the best in her retirement. Her daily presence will be greatly missed.”

Born and raised in Ottawa, Judge Simmons moved to Halifax as a high-school senior, going on to graduate from Dalhousie Law School (now the Schulich School of Law) in 1983. She began her legal career with the Ontario Legal Aid Plan in Toronto before moving into private practice, where she specialized in criminal defence work.

In 1995, Judge Simmons returned to Nova Scotia and was called to the Nova Scotia Bar the same year. She served as a Crown Attorney and Senior Crown Attorney with the Nova Scotia Public Prosecution Service in Dartmouth until 2005, when she joined the Public Prosecution Service of Canada.

As a prosecutor, she led many complex criminal prosecutions, including money laundering and historic sexual assault. As counsel with the Public Prosecution Service of Canada, she was a member of the Organized Crime and Proceeds of Crime Team, as well as the General Prosecutions Team. She was Chief Federal Prosecutor for the Atlantic Region when appointed to the Bench.

Judge Simmons was on faculty with the National Criminal Law Program and the Schulich School of Law, co-teaching Criminal Trial Practice. She is Co-Chair of the Nova Scotia Provincial Court Judges’ Education Committee.

Judge Simmons’ retirement was effective December 30, 2025. Because Judge Simmons was a full-time judge upon retirement, her departure creates a vacancy on the Provincial Court. She will continue to preside as a part-time judge.