Judges

(NOC 4111)

in All Education, Law, Government, Social and Community Services

Judges decide civil and criminal cases and administer justice in courts of law. Judges oversee over federal and provincial courts.

Job Outlook

Undetermined

Read more

  • Estimate change in employment not available for this occupation.
  • Estimate 0 openings due to growth and retirements, 2021-2023
  • Estimate rate of unemployment not available for this occupation.

Compared to: All Education, Law, Government, Social and Community Services

  • Estimate 1830 employment change, 2021-2023
  • Estimate 5515 openings due to growth and retirements, 2021-2023
  • Estimate rate of unemployment not available for these occupation.

Hourly Pay

N/A

Minimum

N/A

Median

N/A

Maximum

Annual Pay

$238,513

Minimum

$369,750

Median

$369,750

Maximum

Compared to: All Education, Law, Government, Social and Community Services

Hourly Pay

$16.30

Minimum

$30.00

Median

$51.30

Maximum

Annual Pay

$5,616

Minimum

$44,335

Median

$92,599

Maximum

About the job

Nature of work

Judges decide civil and criminal cases and administer justice in courts of law. Judges oversee over federal and provincial courts.

Job duties

Judges: Lead courts, interpret and enforce rules of procedure and make rulings about the admissibility of evidence.

  • Instruct the jury on laws that are applicable to the case.
  • Weigh and consider evidence in non-jury trials and decide legal guilt or innocence or degree of liability of the accused or defendant.
  • Pass sentence on individuals convicted in criminal cases and determine damages or other appropriate remedy in civil cases.
  • Grant divorces and divide assets between spouses.
  • Determine custody of children between contesting parents and other guardians.
  • Enforce court orders for access or support.
  • Supervise other judges and court officers.
  • Judges may specialize areas of law like civil, criminal or family law.

Sample job titles

  • chief justice
  • court of Queen's Bench justice
  • family court judge
  • federal trail court justice
  • provincial court of appeal justice
  • small claims court judge
  • superior court justice

Skills

  • Excellent spoken communication skills are important for courtroom work. You should have a strong command of language and the ability to think logically and analytically. Patience, tact, and an understanding of human nature would be helpful in dealing with the public.

Job requirements

  • Judges usually require extensive experience as a lawyer or as a professor of law with continuous membership in the bar association.
  • Membership in good standing with a provincial law society or bar association is required.
  • Judges are appointed by federal or provincial cabinets.
  • Those appointed to more senior positions in a court, like chief justice, usually have experience as judges in that court.

Other considerations

  • Judges tend to work regular business hours.

By the numbers

Quick look

120

employed in 2016

100.0%

employed full-time

0.0%

self employed

33.3%
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66.7%
Icons/male Created with Sketch.
61.6

median age

Compared to: All Education, Law, Government, Social and Community Services

55,420

employed in 2016

76.4%

employed full-time

6.6%

self employed

64.0%
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36%
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43.5

median age

Where will I likely work?

54.2%

Halifax

$305,556 median annual income
20.8%

North Shore

N/A
12.5%

Cape Breton

N/A
12.5%

Southern

N/A

Compared to: All NS Occupations

47.0%

Halifax

15.6%

North Shore

12.9%

Annapolis Valley

12.7%

Cape Breton

11.8%

Southern

Top Industries of Employment

100.0%

Public administration

What is the age of Employment?

50.0%

55-64

29.0%

65+

21.0%

45-54

Compared to: All Education, Law, Government, Social and Community Services

24.2%

35-44

22.7%

45-54

21.4%

25-34

17.2%

55-64

8.4%

15-24

Top levels of education

79.2%

Bachelor

$305,672 median annual income
20.8%

Master

N/A
8.3%

Diploma Above Bachelor

N/A

Compared to: All Education, Law, Government, Social and Community Services

28.9%

Bachelor

$45,929 median annual income
21.2%

College Diploma

$35,398 median annual income
16.8%

Master

$71,043 median annual income
14.6%

High school

$29,055 median annual income
4.6%

Doctorate

$100,443 median annual income

Education & training

Law (LLB, JD, BCL)

University Program

These programs prepare students for the independent professional practice of common or civil law, for becoming a Quebec notary, for taking bar examinations, and for advanced research in jurisprudence. They include courses in the theory and practice of the legal system, including the statutory, administrative, and judicial components of civil and criminal law.

Institutions providing this program

Dalhousie University

Halifax, NS

Employment requirements & contacts

Regulations

Lawyer

Right to Practice: This job is regulated in Nova Scotia. A licence shows that the holder has met provincial requirements and is required to legally do this work.

Regulating body:
Nova Scotia Barristers' Society
Halifax, NS

Contacts

Legal Information Society of Nova Scotia
Halifax, NS
Nova Scotia Department of Justice, Correctional Services Division
Halifax, NS
Canadian Criminal Justice Association
Ottawa, ON

Additional resources

There are no additional resources for this occupation.