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Nova ScotiaBill 239First Reading

Bill 239: Gender-based Violence Prevention Act

Sponsor: Susan LeblancIntroduced March 9, 2026Checked September 4, 2026
Read the official textOfficial version — Nova Scotia House of Assembly

What this bill does

This Nova Scotia bill establishes Clare's Law (allowing people to request disclosure of a partner's history of violence), expands the legal definitions of domestic and family violence to include digital abuse and reproductive coercion, and requires mandatory training for justices of the peace and provincial court judges on coercive control, sexual assault law, and trauma-informed practices.

Plain-language summary by Legisail — not legal advice.

Business impact

Compliance
This bill primarily affects public institutions — police services, the Department of Justice, and the provincial court system — rather than private businesses. Organizations that provide gender-based violence support services or work with survivors may be consulted in developing judge training programs. Businesses in Nova Scotia are not directly subject to new compliance obligations, though employers in industries like policing, corrections, and social services who work alongside government disclosure processes may need to familiarize themselves with how Clare's Law operates in practice. There is no direct impact on private-sector payroll, hiring, or day-to-day operations.

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Where this bill is

First ReadingMarch 9, 2026
Next: Second Reading debate

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At a glance

Bill number
NS-239
Type
Private Member's Public
Jurisdiction
Nova Scotia
Session
65-1
Official record