The Nova Scotia Supreme Court is extending a warm welcome to its newest judge, The Hon. Diane Rowe, a former Senior Solicitor with the provincial government who was appointed to the Bench on May 14, 2020.

Justice Rowe will preside on the Supreme Court in Bridgewater, filling the vacancy created when Justice Mona Lynch elected supernumerary status on March 1, 2020.

“During these challenging times, the appointment of such a bright and promising jurist is indeed something to celebrate,” said The Hon. Chief Justice Deborah K. Smith. “In all aspects of her legal career, Justice Rowe has shown herself to be a dedicated advocate with a passion for public service, values that will translate well into her new responsibilities on the Bench.”

Justice Diane Rowe graduated from the University of New Brunswick’s Faculty of Law in 1997. She was admitted to the Nova Scotia Bar in 1998 and the Newfoundland and Labrador Bar in 2001.

Justice Rowe was working as a Senior Solicitor with the Nova Scotia Department of Justice at the time of her appointment. There, she advised the Office of Aboriginal Affairs and the Made-in-Nova Scotia Process. Her practice areas included Aboriginal, administrative, corporate commercial, natural resources, bankruptcy and insolvency, and construction law. Before joining the Department in 2002, she practised general civil litigation.

Prior to becoming a judge, Justice Rowe also engaged in volunteer advocacy work on behalf of various groups.