Biography of Linda Lee Oland

Born and raised in Halifax, N.S., Linda Lee Oland is well-known and respected in the legal community, both locally and nationally. She graduated from Dalhousie Law School in 1976 and practiced law and was a partner at  McInnes Cooper in Halifax.  

Former Justice Oland was appointed judge of the Supreme Court of Nova Scotia in 1998, breaking ground as the first minority appointment to that Court. When she was elevated to the Nova Scotia Court of Appeal in 2000, she became the first person of Asian heritage appointed to a Canadian appellate court.

During her time as a trial and appellate judge, former Justice Oland rendered decisions involving many different areas of the law. She gave presentations, and chaired or sat on several committees which supported the administration of justice. For several years, she also served as the Chief Justice of Nova Scotia’s designate to the Advisory Council for the Order of Nova Scotia. She is bilingual.

In 2016, the Nova Scotia Council of Chiefs asked former Justice Oland to identify appropriate initiatives the Judiciary may undertake to encourage inclusion. The recommendations in her report were accepted in full and have helped grow the pool of diverse candidates.

Former Justice Oland retired from the Nova Scotia Court of Appeal in April 2020. She served as Acting Director of the Public Prosecution Service of Nova Scotia from February to August 2022.