A class action is not an ordinary lawsuit. It is a single legal action in which one or more persons must step forward as representatives for all other people who are affected by similar legal issues. Up until recently, Nova Scotia was one of the few remaining Canadian provinces that did not have specific legislation permitting class actions. In 2001, the Supreme Court of Canada in a case called Dutton v. Western Canadian Shopping Centers recognized that class actions could proceed in provinces without class action legislation like Nova Scotia at the time. To succeed in provinces like Nova Scotia, a class action must meet specific qualifications laid down by the Supreme Court of Canada.

However, the status of class actions in Nova Scotia has changed. The Government of Nova Scotia proclaimed the Class Proceedings Act in June 2008. Class actions are a cost-effective way for many people to have their claims determined in a single lawsuit rather than many individual lawsuits. Class actions make the judicial system available to many people who otherwise would not be able to afford to make a claim on individual basis.

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