The Report represents a consensus of the members of the Review Team. The staff lawyer model through which legal aid is delivered in Nova Scotia serves the province well, and we recommend this approach be continued.
Clients receive effective service from a dedicated and capable group of people.
This said, we find the range of services NSLA currently offers to be unacceptably narrow, addressing the needs of only a small segment of its client group. We recommend NSLA adopt a more inclusive mandate and offer a broader range of services. While we understand how federal and provincial funding arrangements and pressure from the courts led to the adoption of a restricted menu of services, we believe this should change. This adjustment will not be easy. Given funding constraints and rising demand, it will require creative and committed management to ensure service objectives are met while limiting access so that high standards are maintained.