Nova Scotia Chief Justices Support Judges Banning Employees From Wearing Poppies in Courtroom

A poppy is seen beside headstones in Brookside Cemetery in Winnipeg, on Remembrance Day, Nov. 11, 2020. The Canadian Press/John Woods

The top judges at Nova Scotia’s supreme court and provincial court are expressing support for judges who choose to disallow court employees from wearing poppies during proceedings, saying that the measure promotes neutrality.

Chief Justice Deborah Smith of the Supreme Court of Nova Scotia and Chief Judge Perry Borden of the Provincial Court of Nova Scotia say judges have an obligation to conduct all court proceedings “in an impartial and unbiased manner.”