N.S. government appoints premier’s two-time campaign co-chair as new judge

HALIFAX – A political scientist says he’s concerned the Nova Scotia government has appointed the premier’s two-time campaign co-chair as a new provincial court judge, saying Tim Houston appears to be becoming more bold in his partisanship.

Justice Minister Scott Armstrong announced Friday afternoon that Cameron MacKeen was among three new judges appointed to the provincial court system.

MacKeen was campaign co-chair for the Progressive Conservative premier’s election wins in 2021 and 2024, and he was a member of Houston’s transition team. 

Armstrong said in a statement MacKeen and the two other newly appointed judges, Christa MacKinnon and Jennifer MacLellan, “will play a pivotal role in our justice system, ensuring fair, independent and timely access to justice for Nova Scotians.”

A press release from the Department of Justice says MacKeen has been lawyer since 2003 and had a private practice before joining Nova Scotia Legal Aid as a staff lawyer in 2013, and prior to that he was a journalist. 

Tom Urbaniak, a political scientist at Cape Breton University, said while MacKeen may be well qualified to be a judge, his recent work in the highly partisan role of Houston’s campaign co-chair makes this choice troubling. 

“Mr. MacKeen served in the highly partisan role for a government that is still in power, for a premier that is in office,” Urbaniak said in an interview.

“This will be perceived as a partisan patronage appointment which compromises the high perception of the judiciary as being independent.”

Urbaniak said there are certainly lawyers who have been involved in politics that are appointed as judges, but MacKeen’s case is “very unusual” because of how recently he worked on Houston’s campaign.

Both opposition NDP and Liberal parties have issued statements saying MacKeen’s appointment raises questions about judicial independence.

“While we respect the qualifications of individuals, placing someone so closely tied to partisan politics in such a critical role undermines public confidence in the courts. Nova Scotians deserve a judiciary that is fair, independent, and free from political influence,” Liberal member Iain Rankin said in a statement Friday. 

NDP member Suzy Hansen said in a statement “even the perception of politically motivated appointments could put the independence of the judiciary at risk.”

Houston’s office said in an emailed statement there is no rule that prevents people from being politically active before becoming a judge, only that all partisan political activity must cease upon appointment.

“Throughout Mr. MacKeen’s career he has served the underprivileged population and played a critical role in the justice system. His perspective and experiences will serve our province well in his new role,” spokesperson Catherine Klimek said in an email. 

Urbaniak said regardless of MacKeen’s qualifications and experience, “this appointment, in my respectful opinion, was a mistake. And accepting the appointment was a mistake.”

The political scientist said Friday’s announcement follows a pattern of worrying activity from Houston’s government. 

This includes the “exceptionally” short amount of time spent in the legislature, attempts to limit access by the media to ministers and the swearing-in of ministers in private, he said.

“I think the premier is becoming more bold in his partisanship. I think we’re seeing a pattern, perhaps partly due to the super-majority… We’re seeing an accumulation of things that have me genuinely worried that Tim Houston is not infused with the spirit of democracy and rule of law,” Urbaniak said. 

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Feb. 14, 2026.