Legislation introduced today, May 11, will improve the effectiveness of public inquiries in the province.

The amendment to the Public Inquiries Act will provide protection to witnesses and participants who provide testimony at public inquiries.

“Public inquiries are about finding the truth,” said Justice Minister Lena Metlege Diab.

“In circumstances when a government finds it necessary to call an inquiry, we must ensure it has the means necessary to gather all the evidence so we can fully understand what happened, and prevent it from occurring again.”

The amendment will ensure any statement or testimony given at an inquiry by a witness or participant cannot be used against them in a trial or any court proceeding, other than a prosecution for perjury.

The amendment to Nova Scotia’s Public Inquiries Act is similar to provisions in the legislation of several other provinces.

Source: Release