A Nova Scotia provincial court judge has been sanctioned over his conduct on the bench, with a review committee finding undiagnosed mental health issues were a factor in his behaviour.
The investigation of Judge Alain Bégin involved three cases, including one where he referred to a defendant during a sexual assault trial as a “sexual deviant” and later attempted to argue his remark had been off the record.
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He was alleged to have shown bias in two other cases, once against sexual assault victims and another time against Indigenous offenders.
A statement from the Nova Scotia judiciary says Bégin agreed to the resolution of the complaints, which stemmed from cases he heard between 2021 and 2024 as a judge in Truro, N.S.
The report made public today brings the disciplinary process to an end, though one of the three committee members thought Bégin’s actions warranted a full hearing before the Nova Scotia Judicial Council.
As part of the agreement, Bégin has agreed to apologize, to take part in professional development activities and to continue to receive treatment for a mental health disorder, which the report notes was undiagnosed at the time of his ethical breaches.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 27, 2025.
© 2025 The Canadian Press
