Marion Tyson, Deputy Minister of Community Services, has worked directly under 3 Ministers of Community Services, Peter Christie, David Morse and now Judy Streach.
Because we have grave concern about the justice system and the family courts used by the Minister and the privately operated Children’s Aid/Family and Children Services to apprehend children, it is important to note Marion Tyson’s long and illustrious history with the Justice Department in Nova Scotia. In addition, one should ask, why has the government chosen a hard-nosed, very experienced lawyer to this position in Community Services instead of a person with a social work or psychology degree and history? Could it be because the government's focus is to victimize families in court - not help them?
1975
Graduated from Dalhousie Law school and immediately joined the NS Department of Justice
1975 - 1997
Acted as solicitor for various government departments concerning a variety of subject areas including, education and labour, appearing at all levels of court.
Acted as a solicitor for the Department of Labour in the Westray mining disasater case.
In the Kaufman Report, 2002, Marian Tyson is described in 1996 as a senior solicitor for the Department of Justice, advising officials of the Justice department concerning what information should be released to employees.
The Court decision handed down on Feb 3, 2004 by Justice JE Scalan, flowing from the abuse of youth and adults in institutions in Truro, states “During the intial phase of the investigation process the government representative, Marion Tyson, failed or refused to recognize the jeopardy of the employees. She resisted every attempt by the employees to obtain information about the allegations and to have the right to counsel during interrogation . . . . By August 1996, Ms Tyson withdrew from the file and the problem of disclosure and the right to representation during the IIU process seemed to have disappeared with Ms Tyson’s departure (12, 29)."
1995
Appointed Director of Legal Services
1997
Appointed Executive Director of Court Services
Her first major assignments were to bring the unified Family Court to Nova Scotia (more on this later ), and to consider options for an updated integrated justice system.
2002
President of the Association of Canadian Court Administrators
June 2002
Appointed Deputy Minister of Community Services AND president and CEO of the Nova Scotia Housing Development Corp. Is this not a conflict of interest?
Also cited as being PAST
Chair of the N.S. Interdepartmental Committee on the Status of Women
Latest update!
March 19, 2007
Appointed Deputy Minister of Justice Department
Ms Tyson has been moved to the Justice department!
This is not a change that warms our heart! We are very concerned about the ineffective corrrupt system that we have witnessed in the courts. We are also very concerned that the Supreme Court - Family Division, that was suppose to extend throughout Nova Scotia many years ago, has been confined to the Metro area and Cape Breton.
This has resulted in closed door secretive cout proceedings that allow and encourage the ineffectiveness and corruption within the court system to continue.
And by appointing Judith Ferguson, who also served as legal adviser with the Justice department, as Deputy Minister of Community Services, we can see that the focus of this government has still NOT changed!
We need caring humane people at the helm - Not these bull nosed lawyers!
Deputy Ministers Named
Halifax Herald, 2007-03-10, Nova Scotia section
Premier Rodney MacDonald on Thursday announced new deputy ministers for the departments of Community Services and Justice.
Marion Tyson, deputy minister of community services, will become deputy justice minister.
And Judith Ferguson, assistant deputy minister of community services, will move into the role of deputy minister.
Ms. Tyson has worked for the province for 30 years.
She became deputy minister of community services and president and CEO of the Nova Scotia Housing Development Corp. in 2002.
Prior to that, she served as executive director of court services at the Justice Department and as a lawyer providing advice to government departments.
Ms. Ferguson was appointed assistant deputy minister in July 2004. Previously, she served with the Justice Department and was legal adviser to the Public Service Commission and the Justice Department.
Their appointments will take effect March 19.
