McKiggan Hebert Lawyers

03/18/2026

On November 12, 2025, the Nova Scotia Supreme Court approved a $32 to $34 million settlement in a class action alleging that the Province of Nova Scotia's mismanagement of its system of disability assistance violates sections 7 and 15(1) of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms and is negligent.

The claims process is now open.

Who Is Eligible to Make a Claim?

Persons with disabilities who were placed in institutions or otherwise waitlisted for services under Nova Scotia's Social Assistance Act may be eligible for compensation.

Full eligibility details and information about the claims process are available at www.NSWaitlistSettlement.ca.

How to Make a Claim

To make a claim, eligible individuals must complete and submit a Claim to the Administrator online, by mail, or by email to [email protected]. You can submit your Claim online using the claims portal, https://portal.nswaitlistsettlement.ca/. Claim Forms are available for download from the settlement website: http://www.NSWaitlistSettlement.ca.

The amount of compensation will depend on how long an eligible claimant was on the waitlist and whether they were residing in an institution, nursing home or hospital for a period of time while on the waitlist.

For more details, including eligibility criteria and how to make a Claim, visit http://www.NSWaitlistSettlement.ca or contact the Administrator at 1-844-677-1771, Monday to Friday, 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. AT, excluding holidays, or at [email protected].

SOURCE Koskie Minsky LLP

Information: Email: [email protected], Phone: 1-844-677-1771, Website: http://www.NSWaitlistSettlement.ca

Join Class Counsel on-line for a live webinar on Thursday, March 19 at 3:00 pm AST to find out more about the claims application process.

12/23/2025

Preparing for a discovery examination of a defendant doctor in a birth injury case where the baby suffered HIE (Hypoxic Ischemic Encephalopathy) which caused cerebral palsy. Reminded me of this video about the causes of HIE. Hopefully it will provide some useful information for anyone whose child may have been diagnosed with HIE.

12/16/2025

I spent the morning reviewing the electronic fetal heart rate tracing in a birth injury case for a potential client whose child was just diagnosed with CP. I made a video explaining why the EFM tracing is so crucial in cerebral palsy cases.

11/12/2025

McKiggan Hebert is proud to be the platinum sponsor for Independent Living Nova Scotia's annual Christmas celebration. The party is being held on December 12th at the Marriott Harbourfront Hotel and features music by Signal Hill!

We hope you will join us celebrate the season and raise money for a great cause. For more information, or to order tickets, hit the link below

https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=1219278270234601&set=a.609493367879764&__cft__[0]=AZUhSRzr42AXaIl-wZIfQJ5qdS302Wlj1_6jqGl07-5rp488_jgBZzGKHqgBCWnB6YJXhVL5NfmhoDpI5wZiuetUvxANla19oeHYlFumnltS1TNhJD3FauyYQqTBaaRHOW1COBo0zfRA8KBIjWYEnkxRLPcVtVAHTJ6n9px6QND_Wxjzc5oIV8fO01YepXcSW7I&__tn__=EH-R

Join us for the ultimate East Coast kitchen party! Celebrate the holiday season at our fully inclusive Holiday Gala and Kitchen Party featuring Signal Hill!

Venue: Halifax Marriott Harbourfront (1919 Upper Water Street)
in their Nova Scotia Ballroom (2nd Floor)

Date & Time: Friday, December 12th, 2025, from 7 PM - 11:30 PM
(Doors open at 5:30 PM)

Each ticket includes:
- 3-course meal
- Unlimited Polaroids from the Booth Almighty photo-booth
- Musical performances by Signal Hill

👉 Get your tickets today:
https://www.zeffy.com/en-CA/ticketing/ilns-holiday-gala-and-dance-ft-signal-hill

💵 Prefer to pay in cash?
Tickets can also be purchased in person at our office. Registration forms will be available at the front desk for those who wish to pay by cash.

We want the Holiday Gala & Dance to be a celebration open to everyone in our community. If you are interested in attending this year's Gala but find the cost of tickets to be a barrier, please fill out this short form.

https://forms.gle/P1heGypYUVwZMYKd9

Applications will be reviewed as they are received.
Filling out this form does not guarantee a discounted ticket. Submissions will be reviewed and accepted on a case-by-case basis.

11/06/2025

The court has posted a Notice that the settlement approval hearing in our historic class action settlement on behalf of person's with disabilities in Nova Scotia will be webcast live.

Here are the details:

Webcast of Supreme Court of Nova Scotia Proceeding

On Friday, November 7, 2025, Justice Darlene Jamieson will consider a Notice of Motion to approve a proposed settlement in the following class action lawsuit:

SH-514712 - Isai Estey, by his litigation guardian E. Anne MacRae Vs. The Attorney General of Nova Scotia Representing His Majesty the King in right of The Province of Nova Scotia

The case, first filed in May 2022 and certified as a class proceeding in June 2024, alleges that the Province of Nova Scotia’s mismanagement of its system of disability assistance violates sections 7 and 15(1) of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms and is negligent.

The class action was brought to claim compensation for people with disabilities who were determined eligible to receive disability services under the Social Assistance Act, but who were placed on the waitlist, or placed in Institutions, Nursing Homes, or Hospitals.

This proceeding will be livestreamed on the Courts of Nova Scotia website to ensure it is accessible to members of the class. Closed captioning will be available and can be turned on through the video player’s settings.

The hearing is scheduled to begin at 9:30 a.m. on Friday, November 7. The public can watch the livestream on the Courts of Nova Scotia website.

As per the Nova Scotia Courts’ copyright policy, webcasts of court proceedings may not be broadcast or re-broadcast by embedding them in another website or by any other means. However, portions of the webcasts (audio and video) may be re-broadcast as part of conventional news coverage. Hyperlinks to the live webcast page and the page of archived videos on the Courts of Nova Scotia website are permitted.

The Nova Scotia Courts recognize that live webcasts of court proceedings are a proven way to help educate the public about the legal system. Since 2008, the Nova Scotia Courts have livestreamed dozens of matters — mostly appeals, sentencing decisions and certification hearings in class action law...

11/04/2025

Pleased to announce that John McKiggan K.C. has been invited to present at Osgoode Hall's conference in Toronto: Advanced Issues in Civil Sexual Assault.

The conference is a deep dive into civil claims for sexual abuse and the unique issues these claims present for lawyers. There's still some time to register and if you can't get to TO you can attend virtually.

For more information, or to register, check out the link.

The civil sexual assault landscape is increasingly complex. Do you have what you need to advise with confidence? In this ALL NEW content program, join Canada’s leading experts as we tackle some of the more advanced topics. In one information packed day, acquire the key knowledge and practical stra...

10/19/2025

After 12 long years of litigation and two trips to the New Brunswick Court of Appeal and the Supreme Court of Canada, McKiggan Hebert is pleased to say that we have an agreement in principle to settle our class action against the city of Saint John on behalf of children who were sexually abused by police officer, Kenneth Estabrooks.

The agreement still needs to be approved by the court, which we expect will take place in early 2026.

It has been a very long fight, but Bobby Hayes and his fellow survivors never gave up hope. We are honoured that they trusted us with this important case.

For more information, class members can contact us at [email protected].

10/19/2025

We are please to say that after 12 long years of litigation, and 2 trips to the New Brunswick Court of Appeal and the Supreme Court of Canada, we have reached an Agreement in Principle to settle our class action against the City of Saint John. The proposed settlement requires approval of the court and that hearing will take place early 2026.

It has been a long and difficult fight but survivors should soon have an opportunity to receive compensation for the sexual abuse they suffered as children decades ago at the hands of Kenneth Estabrooks.

For more information, class members cn reach out to us at [email protected].

Kenneth Estabrooks, a former police officer and city employee, was found guilty of four counts of indecent assault in 1999. A much-larger group of alleged victims has been seeking compensation from the city for sexual abuses committed by Estabrooks.

10/03/2025

Brian Hebert has been named as one of the Best Lawyers in Canada in the fields of Personal Injury, Aboriginal, and Environmental Law. Way to go Brian!

10/03/2025

We're pleased to announce that John McKiggan K.C. has been named (again) as one of the Best Lawyers in Canada in the field of personal injury law.