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