In April of 2026, the NSCJA held a three part webinar series – Bail Reform 101. The Nova Scotia Criminal Justice Association (NSCJA) was pleased to present a three-part Webinar Series on Bail Reform, bringing together legal experts, academic researchers, and community justice leaders to discuss the evolving landscape of bail policy in Canada. Bail reform continues to be one of the most widely debated issues within Canada’s justice system. The series explored the legal framework of bail, current policy discussions, research findings, and the impact of bail processes on individuals and communities. Each session provided participants with the opportunity to hear from recognized subject matter experts and gain insights from multiple perspectives within the justice system. This series was intended for justice professionals, policymakers, students, researchers, and members of the public interested in learning more about bail practices, reform discussions, and community impacts. Below you can watch a recording of the three webinars. NSCJA Bail Reform Webinar Series – Session 1: Research and Policy Landscape Presented by: Dr. Nicole Myers Professor, Department of Sociology Queen’s University Dr. Myers is one of Canada’s leading researchers on bail practices, court decision-making, and pre-trial justice. Her research examines how bail systems function in practice and the broader policy implications for fairness, efficiency, and public safety. Nicole Myers is a criminologist and Associate Professor in the Sociology Department at Queen’s University. Her work focuses on the pre-trial detention and bail process, community supervision and conditions of release, court culture and organizational risk avoidance, social control and punishment. Using a mixed methodological approach, Prof Myers has conducted extensive bail court observations, reviewed completed criminal case files, and conducted in-depth interviews with criminal justice professionals, people who have experienced pre-trial detention and release in the community subject to conditions, and people who have acted as a surety for someone. Professor Myers is a recognized expert in her field, having appeared before the Senate of Canada Standing Committee on Legal and Constitutional Affairs, the House of Commons Standing Committee on Justice and Human Rights and the Ontario Legislative Assembly Standing Committee on Justice Policy. Her work has been cited by the Supreme Court of Canada in R. v. Zora, 2020, R. v. Myers, 2019, R. v. Penunsi, 2019 and R. v. Antic 2017. Session Focus: Research and policy landscape shaping bail reform in Canada. NSCJA Bail Reform Webinar Series – Session 2: Legal Perspectives on Bail Presented by: J. Patrick Young, Crown Attorney Nova Scotia Public Prosecution Service, Recipient of the John Dunlop Award. J. Patrick Young will discuss the legal framework governing bail in Nova Scotia and provide insights into the Crown perspective on public safety, judicial discretion, and current reform discussions. J. Patrick Young is a Senior Crown Counsel with the Nova Public Prosecution Service in Pictou. He has been a lawyer for 20 years, and a prosecutor for almost all that time. He was called to the P.E.I. Bar in 2006, the Alberta Bar in 2007, and the N.S. Bar in 2010. He holds a B.A. in Political Studies from the University of Prince Edward Island, an M.A. in Political Science from Carleton University, and a Bachelor of Laws (LL.B.) from the University of New Brunswick law school. He has nearly completed a Master of Laws in Criminal Law and Procedure (LL.M.) from Osgoode Hall Law School. He is the first Crown Attorney to have been awarded the NSCJA’s prestigious John Dunlop Award for “significant contributions to the criminal justice system and the community in 2020.” He joined the NSCJA Board in 2023 and sits on the Board of Directors of the Canadian Criminal Justice Association. Session Focus: Legal framework and prosecutorial perspectives on bail in Nova Scotia. NSCJA Bail Reform Webinar Series – Session 3: Bail in practice: community supervision Presented by: Jenna Tucker – John Howard Society, Darlene MacEachern & Julie Kendall – Elizabeth Fry Society of Cape Breton Representatives from community justice organizations will share perspectives on how bail and record suspension processes affect individuals navigating the justice system and the importance of community reintegration support. Session Focus: Community justice perspectives and impacts of bail policies
