Hay River (Aug 25/03) - When retiring Chief Judge Robert W. Halifax looks back over 26 years on the territorial court, he sees a lot of changes.

Territorial court Chief Judge Robert Halifax is retiring after decades of service in the North. He is planning to build a house in Hay River. He says that's where all his friends are. - Merle Robillard/NNSL photo

One is an apparent increase in violent crime over the years, he says. "We seem to see a little more violence."

However, he's not sure if that really is an increase in violent crime or rather indicates more reporting. "It's hard to say."

On the positive side, Halifax notes, facilities, for example, have improved over the years, and now there are more courthouses or community centres in which to hold court. "Instead of commandeering a school room."

Halifax will be wrapping up his career on the bench with a sitting in Hay River this week, ending Aug. 29.

The 57-year-old says he has been seriously thinking about retiring since last spring, especially since his term ends Sept. 1. "It's an appropriate time for me to retire."

To every little community

Being a judge in the NWT has been interesting, he says.

It meant a lot of travel, especially before division when his circuit would include Nunavut, he notes. "I've been to every community in the Northwest Territories at least once."

Halifax says he tried to get to every community each year to hear the concerns and/or complaints of local people.

His normal circuit was south of Great Slave Lake. As for whether judges have too much of a workload, Halifax says it is always a balancing act. And, he says, if he had thought the court had gone to the point of being a factory, he would have quit.

Nevertheless, he says, because of the increase in criminal cases, courts in Canada have become stretched. "Maybe I'm old-fashioned, but that's not justice."

Justice in the NWT is a still a bit more personal than elsewhere, he says, noting he has known people in the communities for over 25 years. "Unfortunately, for some families, I'm on to the third generation."

Still, he says there is satisfaction from the thank-you's he receives from people who may have appeared before him years ago.

As for which cases are memorable, Halifax says, "They're all important." However, he says he found aboriginal rights cases very interesting.

Halifax says the majority of offenders who appeared before him were males under 30, and he tried to "keep a lid" on them. "Most guys seem to grow out of it by 30 or they meet a lady to straighten them out." However, he says a small percentage of offenders never seem to change. "One of the disheartening things is the recidivist rate." That may indicate a lack of resources in other areas, such as family counselling and substance abuse treatment, he says.

Now that he will soon be retired, Halifax says he has lots of things to do in Hay River, where he lives and is building a house.

That includes golfing, fishing and hunting. And he hopes to become involved in the community.

"I'm actually going to have a rest for a little bit," he says, noting he has largely lived out of a suitcase for 26 years.

Halifax first came North in 1972 to practice law in Yellowknife and moved to Hay River in 1976.

When he got the call asking him if he'd be interested in becoming a judge, he recalls he thought it was a joke. "I was only 30 years old."

However, he thought it would be a challenge and accepted the role.