Balados

#118 (En anglais) | The TAP Project: A Canadian Judge’s Experience in Armenia

– Juin 2026

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#118 (En anglais) | The TAP Project: A Canadian Judge’s Experience in Armenia
Broadcast Date: June 18, 2026

 

EPISODE SUMMARY  | TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE PARTNERSHIP PROJECT | BIOGRAPHIES | RELATED DOCUMENTATION

 

EPISODE SUMMARY

What happens when Canadian judges travel abroad to share their expertise — and what do they bring back? 

In this episode, Christine O’Doherty (Lawyer & CIAJ’s Executive Director) welcomes The Honourable Justice Carole A. Beaton (Nova Scotia Court of Appeal), to discuss her involvement in the Technical Assistance Partnership Project – Federal Judicial Affairs Canada (TAP-FJA). The two sat down together in Armenia in May 2026, on the sidelines of the mission, to record this conversation. Drawing from her exchanges with local judges and court officials, Justice Beaton reflects on the importance of judicial independence, the value of cross-jurisdictional dialogue, and Canada’s role in supporting justice reform abroad. She also shares what motivates her participation in these missions and how this experience has shaped her perspective on international judicial cooperation. 

A thoughtful and inspiring conversation at the intersection of judicial expertise and international cooperation.

This project is part of the Technical Assistance Partnership supported by Global Affairs Canada.

 

Guest

  • The Honourable Justice Carole A. Beaton, Nova Scotia Court of Appeal

Host

  • Christine O’Doherty, Lawyer & Executive Director, CIAJ

 

About the Technical Assistance Partnership
Project (TAP):

Global Affairs Canada’s Technical Assistance Partnership Project (TAP), is designed to deploy Canadian experts from a range of disciplines to provide technical assistance to developing countries. The Office of the Commissioner for Federal Judicial Affairs (FJA) is one of the Canadian government agencies with an international development project under TAP. Under TAP, FJA engages with up to three countries per year for a one-year program of capacity building for judicial institutions. This mechanism allows Canada to use the experience in our judicial system to respond to requests for technical assistance made through Canadian missions abroad. Technical assistance is provided in response to needs expressed by partner countries, but in alignment with Canada’s international development priorities, including the strengthening of gender equality and the protection of human rights.

More information

BIOGRAPHIES

 

The Honourable Justice Carole A. Beaton

Nova Scotia Court of Appeal

Carole A. Beaton is a graduate of St. Francis Xavier University (Bachelor of Arts) and the University of New Brunswick (Ll.B.), where she was Associate Editor of the school’s 1986-87 Law Journal. She was admitted to the Nova Scotia bar in 1988. In 1990 she was appointed by the Public Prosecution Service as a per diem Crown Attorney, while maintaining a private practice as an associate lawyer. In 1994 she co-founded her own law firm, and that same year was selected as one of five Atlantic Canadian professionals who spent three weeks in Japan on a cultural and professional exchange. 

 Throughout her fourteen years in practice, Justice Beaton focussed primarily on family and criminal law and represented several municipal corporations. She also served on the executive of The Canadian Bar Association-Nova Scotia Branch and the Nova Scotia Barristers Society, and on the boards of several community -based organizations. She authored several articles and papers, including presentations to government bodies examining aspects of law reform.  Justice Beaton also developed and presented education modules and workshops for the public on various legal topics. In 2001 she was the recipient of the biennial Francis Fish Award from the Nova Scotia Association of Women and the Law, recognizing “outstanding women lawyers who have achieved excellence in their area of specialty or in the community, and who have demonstrated a commitment to the advancement of women’s equality in or through the legal profession.”

In 2002 Justice Beaton was appointed to the Provincial Court of Nova Scotia, where she heard criminal matters. There she began her involvement in the design and delivery of judicial education at the provincial and national levels, which continues to this day.  While a member of that court, she served on the board of the Legal Information Society of Nova Scotia. In 2010 she was named national  Education Chair of the Canadian Association of Provincial Court Judges.

In 2011 Justice Beaton was appointed to the Supreme Court of Nova Scotia, assigned to sit in its Family Division. Over her years on the bench, her involvement in judicial education has continued, and she has presented to judges and lawyers on a variety of topics at professional education programs.

Justice Beaton was named to the Nova Scotia Court of Appeal in 2019. She serves on several program planning committees of the National Judicial Institute, and co-chairs its annual national Family Law Seminar. She currently sits on the Canadian Judicial Council’s Judicial Education Committee.

 

Christine O’Doherty

Lawyer, Executive Director

Christine O’Doherty has been Executive Director of the Canadian Institute for the Administration of Justice (CIAJ) since 2017 and has been a member of the Quebec Bar since 1994. A bilingual lawyer (French and English), she has strong expertise in Indigenous law and administrative law. An experienced manager and effective communicator, she has also played a key role throughout her career in the development and implementation of public and government relations strategies for various high-profile organizations.

A certified trainer and adult education specialist, Ms. O’Doherty has nearly 10 years of experience in continuing legal education at CIAJ. She designs and facilitates specialized workshops, including on judgment and decision writing, tailored to the Canadian judiciary and other legal professionals. She has also contributed to the development of customized programs for courts, aimed at improving writing quality, decision-making effectiveness, and access to justice.

Before joining CIAJ, Ms. O’Doherty taught for 14 years at the Faculty of Pharmacy at the Université de Montréal, where she was responsible for the cross-disciplinary skills program for undergraduate and graduate students. This experience allowed her to build strong expertise in instructional design and the delivery of key competencies.

At CIAJ, she oversees the development and implementation of innovative training programs for the judiciary and the Canadian legal community, incorporating participatory and practice-oriented approaches. Her initiatives focus particularly on contemporary issues related to access to justice and improvements in judicial administration.

Alongside her professional responsibilities, Ms. O’Doherty devotes part of her free time to writing novels.

 

RELATED DOCUMENTATION

About the Technical Assistance Partnership (TAP) Project: https://ciaj-icaj.ca/en/international/technical-assistance-partnership-project-federal-judicial-affairs-canada/

 

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