The Nova Scotia government is refusing to tell taxpayers how much it spent defending its unconstitutional 2025 woods ban in court, prompting the Canadian Taxpayers Federation to challenge the decision.

The CTF says the Nova Scotia Department of Justice rejected a freedom of information request seeking the total legal costs associated with defending the ban, including payments to outside law firm McInnes Cooper. In a May 12, 2026 decision, the department cited solicitor-client privilege and withheld the records.

The taxpayer watchdog argues that while legal advice may be protected, the total amount spent on outside counsel should be public.

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"The Houston government racked up legal bills defending this lawsuit, and taxpayers deserve to know what it cost them," said CTF Atlantic Director and General Counsel Devin Drover. "The government hired outside lawyers to defend a ban that a court found violated Nova Scotians' Charter rights, and now it won't even show taxpayers the bill."

The controversy stems from the province's 2025 ban on entering wooded areas, introduced during a period of heightened wildfire risk. On April 17, 2026, the Supreme Court of Nova Scotia struck down the ban, ruling the government had acted unreasonably and failed to adequately consider Charter rights.

Despite losing the case, the province has declined to disclose what taxpayers spent defending the measure.

"The government lost in court, and now it's hiding the bill," Drover said. "A total dollar figure isn't legal advice. It's a bill. And taxpayers are the ones who paid it."

The Canadian Taxpayers Federation says it will file a complaint with Nova Scotia's Office of the Information and Privacy Commissioner, seeking an order requiring the government to release the legal cost records.