Meet the Director: Ron MacDonald

Ron MacDonald, QC, has been a lawyer since 1985. He has spent his career working within the criminal justice system. He started his career as defence counsel for six years. He then spent 17 years in Antigonish as a Crown Attorney before becoming a criminal law policy advisor at Nova Scotia’s Department of Justice for three years.

 

As a Crown Attorney, he prosecuted cases from minor offences to major investigations. Some well-known examples are the Father Hugh Vincent MacDonald and Dr. Michael Christie sexual-assault trials, and the Melvin St. Clair Laybolt and Travis MacLeod murder cases. In his time as a policy advisor, he was involved in several initiatives that have resulted in legislative changes at both the Federal and Provincial levels. 

 

Mr. MacDonald  has been president of the Nova Scotia Barristers’ Society (2005-06) and president of the Federation of Law Societies of Canada (2010-11). His experiences have taught him the critical importance that the protection of the public’s interest has in the maintenance of an effective justice system in Nova Scotia and Canada.

 

Ron has further demonstrated a commitment to his community through his volunteer efforts, including coaching girls’ softball, and mens’ high school and university basketball, chairing community boards, working at the 2010 Winter Olympics, and helping to create his hometown’s first Sexual Assault Response Team. He was awarded the National Heads of Prosecutions Humanitarian Award in 2007 to recognize his contributions.

 

As the first director of the Nova Scotia Serious Incident Response Team, Ron looks forward to continuing to work with the people of Nova Scotia to give them the utmost faith and confidence in the investigation of serious incidents involving police.