Amendment to extend maximum length of emergency protection orders to a year from 30 days
The Nova Scotia government has announced the introduction of amendments under the province’s Children and Family Services Act to strictly prohibit the publication of information on social media to identify children who are the subject of court proceedings.
“At the heart of these amendments are children and youth, as well as survivors of domestic violence who deserve privacy, protection and the right supports at the right time,” said Barbara Adams, Nova Scotia’s opportunities and social development minister, in a news release.
In its news release, the provincial government noted that other changes under the Children and Family Services Act will:
- Explicitly state that publication bans relating to child and family well-being proceedings will remain effective even after the conclusion of proceedings, including cases where a child or youth has passed away
- Formally recognize the minister’s responsibility to provide support for youth aging out of care to prepare for adulthood
- Require the entry of anyone who has pled guilty or been found guilty of an offence against or involving a child into the child abuse register, including cases where a court has granted a conditional or absolute discharge
The Nova Scotia government said the amendments aim to:
- Better protect the privacy rights, safety, and well-being of the province’s children, youth, and families
- Help those dealing with difficult circumstances receive care, respect, and strong protections
- Help youth aging out of care become independent
- Enhance the child abuse register as a safeguard for children and youth
The provincial government noted that the budget for 2026–27 included funding to create an Office of Children and Youth, which seeks to promote the well-being of Nova Scotia’s children and youth.
The Nova Scotia government explained that the Children and Family Services Act requires the minister to appoint a committee to review the legislation every four years to ensure continuous improvement. The province said the recently announced amendments reflected the committee’s recommendations.
Other amendments
According to the provincial government’s news release, amendments to other legislation will:
- Extend the maximum length of emergency protection orders to a year from 30 days to support the safety and security of domestic violence survivors and their families, via changes to the Domestic Violence Intervention Act, 2001
- Permit electronic signatures for all plans under the Beneficiaries Designation Act, 1989, through amendments to that legislation
- Repeal Nova Scotia’s Social Workers Act
- Transfer social work regulation to Nova Scotia’s Regulated Health Professions Act, which provides common regulatory and accountability processes for all the province’s self-regulated health professions under a single act
The provincial government described its current 30-day maximum for emergency protection orders as the shortest among all Canadian jurisdictions.
Lastly, the Nova Scotia government noted that legislation in five other provinces – Newfoundland and Labrador, Prince Edward Island, Ontario, Saskatchewan, and Alberta – expressly enabled electronic beneficiary designations.
