Open Letter – Anti-Black Racism at Public Prosecution Service (July 2023)

Open Letter
July 21, 2023
African Nova Scotian Justice Institute
5832 Bilby Street Halifax, NS B3K 1V8

The African Nova Scotian Justice Institute has serious concerns about systemic racism at the Public Prosecution Service.  Our recent correspondence with government officials and PPS leadership have not left us with great confidence that our concerns are being heard and addressed.  We are releasing the most recent correspondence to the public to initiate broader discussions on this problem to better educate all Nova Scotians about these concerns.  

First, some background: 

Since the inquiry into the wrongful conviction of Donald Marshall Jr. in 1989, Nova Scotia has formally recognized that systemic racism is a powerful force at work in the Nova Scotia Criminal Justice System.  One of the remedies to that problem was the establishment of Nova Scotia’s Public Prosecution Service as the first independent service in Canada.  That move was established to free the PPS from racist, political interference to ensure fairer prosecution of Mi’kmaq and Black Nova Scotians. Unfortunately, this has not taken place.  Neither have all the recommendations from that inquiry been fully implemented.

Concerns expressed from inside and outside of the PPS led the former director, Martin Herschorn, to release a statement on the Fair Treatment of African Nova Scotians (June 2020 https://novascotia.ca/news/release/?id=20200615007).  Concerns that the PPS has little or no representation of Mi’kmaq or Black persons in senior roles led to an independent PPS employment systems review conducted by Laura Williams and Associates.  That report has been submitted and reviewed by government and PPS officials but has not been released to the public.  The ANSJI has submitted a Freedom of Information request for the document and have been told that it will not be released.

In February 2022, the African Nova Scotian Justice Institute corresponded with the Attorney General and Minister of Justice in Nova Scotia to express its concerns about happenings at the PPS (see the attached correspondence).

Specifically, the training day designed to support the implementation of the Fair Treatment of African Nova Scotians Policy was a complete disaster.  Disparaging comments made about the policy, and the community members asked to be present to support the training, clearly demonstrated the need for a policy and that anti-Black sentiment is alive and well at the PPS.  

Since then, we have been informed by the acting Director of PPS that the co-chairs of the Equity and Diversity committee have been removed from their roles and replaced by individuals who have openly demonstrated their hostility to the Fair Treatment of African Nova Scotians Policy.  The policy has also been amended to alter the definition of African Nova Scotians with no consultation from members of the African Nova Scotian community.

The African Nova Scotian Justice Institute plans to hold a public symposium on racism in the criminal justice system in the coming months.  It is our hope to inspire public discussion about these issues in the weeks leading up to that event.

Sincerely, 

Robert Wright

Executive Director, African Nova Scotian Justice Institute 

See also:

• Justice Institute alleges systemic racism at Nova Scotia’s Crown prosecutor’s office