Other recent efforts touch upon recommendations to address systemic discrimination
The Nova Scotia Barristers’ Society (NSBS) has announced the release of its 2025 annual report, covering its work from May 1, 2025, to Apr. 30, 2026, including its efforts to establish a new competency framework in the coming months.
“I’m pleased to recognize our progress over the past year, achieved through the dedicated work of our governing Council, Committees, and staff,” said Jennifer Pink, NSBS interim executive director, in the annual report.
She shared that the NSBS has worked to:
- Consult on the new competency framework that will define the requirements for admission into the province’s legal profession
- Develop this new framework, in collaboration with Western Canada’s law societies, to promote professional mobility and consistent client service
- Launch a new website with a user-friendly interface, updated accessibility tools, and easier access to the society’s decisions, policies, procedures, notices, and news to support institutional transparency
- Implement the 21 recommendations in “Regaining Trust—The Ruck Report: Systemic Discrimination in Nova Scotia’s Legal Community”
- Launch RegainingTrust.ca last October to update on each recommendation’s implementation status, identify accountability measures, and highlight learning and engagement opportunities
Candee McCarthy – named acting president after former president Michelle Kelly’s appointment as a judge of the Supreme Court of Nova Scotia – confirmed the law society’s commitment to implementing the Ruck Report’s recommendations.
“This work is complex and, at times, challenging, but it is also deeply rewarding because of its importance,” McCarthy said. “It requires us to examine our structures, listen carefully to diverse perspectives, and be willing to evolve.”
Alongside the other members of the Federation of Law Societies of Canada, the NSBS took part in launching “Ours to Protect,” an educational campaign on the meaning and importance of the rule of law.
“As lawyers, we are entrusted not only with serving our clients but also with upholding the rule of law and maintaining public confidence in our profession,” McCarthy said in a message in the annual report. “I am proud of the commitment I see every day from members across this province, and I am optimistic about what we can accomplish together.”
Pink shared that the NSBS staff has worked annually to respond to thousands of calls, investigate and resolve hundreds of complaints, and review and process over 1,500 applications.
“While the regulatory environment is shifting, we also see the volume of work growing steadily,” she said.
Professional landscape
In the annual report, Pink identified the following forces impacting legal practice: technological and artificial intelligence (AI) developments, as well as threats to the checks and balances supporting the principle of the rule of law.
“Regulating a profession in constant flux requires us to re-evaluate our measures of competence and our regulatory tools and approaches continuously,” she said.
Pink explained that the society’s 2024–26 strategic plan provided five guideposts: mandate of the society, governance, communication, trust and confidence, and access to justice.
“Our strategy is yielding results,” she said. “Community relationships are deepening through the dedicated work of our Equity & Access team and Equity Committees. Increasingly, committee vacancies and external appointments attract a strong response from lawyers and public representatives.”
“Council continues to focus on modernizing our governance structures, strengthening accountability, and ensuring that our decision-making processes support effective and transparent regulation,” McCarthy said. “These efforts are about more than organizational reform; they are about building a stronger foundation for the future, one that enhances public confidence while supporting a vibrant and diverse legal profession.”
Pink noted that the NSBS Council has extended the strategic plan to 2027 in recognition of the work that the law society still needs to do.
“We will engage in dialogue with lawyers across the province about the fast-changing practice environment and our regulatory response,” she said. “We’ll continue improving our own policies and structures and aspire to regulate a more diverse profession servicing the legal needs of all Nova Scotians.”
