N.S. justice minister complained to barristers’ society about former justice minister

Nova Scotia’s former justice minister says a member of the government filed a code of conduct complaint with the province barristers’ society over questions she asked as an Independent in the legislature.

Becky Druhan says she recently learned through an email the regulating body for Nova Scotia lawyers sent in May that Justice Minister Scott Armstrong had filed the complaint against her.

The professional order dismissed the complaint.

Druhan, who is a lawyer, says it’s concerning that a cabinet minister would use a professional complaint to target a member of the legislature for doing their work as an elected official.

Armstrong and the Department of Justice did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Druhan joined the Liberals in May after leaving the Progressive Conservative party in October 2025.

She declined to share the details of the code of conduct complaint, but said it had to do with questions she had asked the government in the legislature.

In February, Druhan had asked the government about whether there was political interference in police investigations, prompting heckling from Premier Tim Houston.

Although she addressed the question to Armstrong in February, multiple people present said the premier could be heard heckling as Armstrong responded, saying “she should go out there and say it,” while pointing to the doors of the chamber.

Parliamentary rules in Canada allow politicians to speak freely inside the chambers of legislatures, without fear of being sued for defamation, but they can lose that protection if they repeat something outside.

Druhan asked the premier to waive cabinet confidentiality so she could share more information, but the premier said no.