Nova Scotia premier blasts judges over 'disgusting' demand that staffers remove poppies in courtroom
Nova Scotia Premier Tim Houston is threatening to pass a law enshrining the right to wear a poppy in the workplace after two of the province’s judges started requiring court staffers to ask for their permission to wear poppies in their courtrooms.
The issue came to light after the Atlantic version of Frank Magazine reported Judge Ronda van der Hoek, associate chief judge of the Provincial Court, and Nova Scotia Supreme Court Justice Jean Dewolfe (of the family division), who both work out of the Kentville Justice Centre in the Annapolis Valley, did not want court staff wearing poppies in their courtrooms.
“It has come to my attention that earlier this week there was an order issued prohibiting individuals working in certain court facilities from wearing poppies while on duty in those locations,” Houston wrote on the social media platform known as X.
“This order was issued under the guise that the poppy is somehow a ‘political statement.’ This is disgusting. The poppy is not a political statement. It is a symbol of remembrance and respect for the fallen and those who served and continue to serve our country.”
No conversations about poppies occurred in the courtroom, according to Andrew Preeper, a spokesman for the Nova Scotia courts.
“Nor did a judge ban poppies from the courtroom,” Preeper said in an email Friday.
“Members of the public are welcome to wear poppies in the courthouse and courtroom. Staff who wished to wear poppies in the courtroom were advised to speak with the presiding judge and conversations, as needed, have occurred around that specific topic. It is within the discretion of the presiding judge. Typically, to protect the neutrality of the courtroom space, symbols of support are not permitted to be worn by judges or staff within the courtroom.”
To “ensure the fair administration of justice, the courts must be neutral and appear to be neutral at all times, particularly inside the courtroom,” Preeper said.
“Everyone appearing in court must feel that their case will be heard fairly and without bias. As a result, all judges and staff are expected not to wear any symbols of support in the courtroom.”
Preeper pointed to The Canadian Judicial Council’s Ethical Principles for Judges, which notes “the wearing or display of symbols of support, even if they seem innocuous … may be interpreted as reflecting a lack of impartiality or the use of the position of the judge to make a political or other statement. For those reasons, judges should avoid statements or visible symbols of support, particularly in the context of court proceedings.”
According to Preeper, “in order to respect these ethical principles and ensure a neutral hearing, staff are also asked not to wear symbols of support in the courtroom. The courts’ position on this matter is not unique to Nova Scotia.”
Frank Magazine is reporting that the Sherriff’s Services Manager in Kentville told his deputies last week that poppies must be removed before they step into the courtroom. And a court clerk told the often satirical news publication that if they want to wear a poppy inside a courtroom, they must first get permission from the sitting judge.
Poppies have been worn in Canada since 1921, said the Nova Scotia premier.
“We have courts and a democracy because of the courage of those who are willing to make the ultimate sacrifice in pursuit of, and in defence of, the very rights and freedoms we enjoy.”
Houston said the judges were wrong on the poppy front.
“While I respect the independence of the judiciary, I respect veterans, the very people who made the ultimate sacrifice defending our country, our values and our democracy, more,” he said.
“It is not lost on me that our veterans fought so we can enjoy the freedoms the courts uphold. That’s why I find it impossible to believe any judge would ban a symbol of respect for the fallen, our veterans and their families.”
Houston said he stands “firmly behind anyone who wants to wear a poppy in their workplace. Because of the actions of these judges, if necessary, I will introduce The Nova Scotia Remembrance Observance Act that will enshrine the right to wear a poppy in the workplace from November 1 to November 11.”
By 9 a.m. Friday, Houston’s comments had already been viewed more than 177,000 times.
Former federal justice minister and former Crown attorney Peter MacKay also commented on the matter.
“Say it isn’t so,” MacKay posted on X.
“Hearing that 2 NS Judges have ordered court staff, some of whom are Vets to remove poppies in the courtroom. What an outrage. A previous ‘ban’ on CAF/Vets wearing uniforms in schools when (meeting) students was broadly repudiated.”
MacKay was referencing the Nova Scotia elementary school that asked service members and veterans not to wear their uniforms last year to a Remembrance Day ceremony. The school soon did an about-face on the request after facing flak from the province’s premier.
In a November 2024 newsletter distributed to parents, Sackville Heights Elementary School invited service members to come to the ceremony, but asked them to leave their military uniforms at home.
“To maintain a welcoming environment for all, we kindly request that service members wear civilian clothing,” the newsletter said.
In the wake of that request, Houston wrote on X that the “leaders at this school are disgracing themselves while demeaning the people who protect our country.”
The school later emailed parents to apologize for the blunder.
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