On June 18, the Nova Scotia Barristers’ Society held our 2026 Annual Meeting at the Society’s offices. The NSBS Annual Meeting is an opportunity for members of the legal profession to join Council to review the previous financial year, discuss Society happenings, and pose questions to Council and Society executives.
The hybrid Meeting saw 38 online participants join Council, Committee members, and NSBS staff for an attendance of 70.
Following a Land and African Nova Scotian acknowledgement, the minutes from the 2025 Annual Meeting were approved and Interim Executive Director Jennifer Pink was invited to present the Annual Report for 2025.
Annual Report
“The legal profession is in a state of constant flux, perhaps now more than ever,” said Pink. In her opening statement, Pink recognized some of the challenges facing the modern legal profession as a whole: the rapid pace in which AI is transforming the practice and administration of law, threats to the rule of law and institutions that underpin our democratic justice system, along with a steady rise in calls from the public voicing concerns about lawyer conduct and personal experiences in the justice system.
“This unstable climate poses challenges for all professional regulators, and for the professionals they regulate.”
In the face of these challenges, Pink emphasized the need for the Society to “continuously re-evaluate how competence is measured, and re-examine how we address professional risk and misconduct” by “reaffirming the guideposts laid out in the Society’s 2024-2027 Strategic Plan: Mandate, Governance, Communication, Trust and Confidence, and Access to Justice.”
Some highlights of the Society’s work from the past year included the ongoing collaboration with Western Canadian provinces to develop improved competency frameworks, the NSBS’ new website’s improved focus on accessibility and transparency surrounding Council policies and decisions, and the meaningful steps taken to confront systemic discrimination through the ongoing implementation of Douglas Ruck’s 21 Recommendations.
Pink offered her thanks to the Law Foundation of Nova Scotia for their ongoing financial support of these important initiatives, including Society scholarships, Equity & Access projects, and the ongoing work to reimagine the Society’s library services.
After offering her thanks to the hardworking members of the Society staff, its Council, and committee volunteers, Pink thanked former President, now Justice, Michelle Kelly, for her work before being appointed to the Supreme Court bench, and expressed her support for incoming president, Candee McCarthy.
“Candee is a steady and thoughtful leader. She cares deeply about the Society’s work and is not afraid to have difficult conversations, and to be vulnerable in effecting positive change. Candee is exactly the leader the Society needs now, and I am grateful for her support and guidance.”
In her closing remarks, Pink offered a look ahead to the year to come:
“We are entering the third and final year of our current strategic plan. The Society will continue delivering on its strategic commitments, building on the momentum of the past year. At the same time, we are looking ahead to what comes next. A new set of priorities will be identified over the coming months through engagement and forward thinking. Through this work, we’ll continue striving for the highest level of public confidence in the profession.”
Following Pink’s tabling of the Annual Report, the Society’s Director of Finance and Administration, Kate Shewan, presented an overview of the financial statement and auditor’s report for 2025/2026. Alongside the review, a motion was put forward by Maurice Chiasson, Chair of the Finance Committee, to appoint Doane Grant Thornton as the auditor for the the Society for the fiscal year ending April 30, 2027. The motion was passed.
Dwight Rudderham KC, Chair of the Law Foundation’s Board, was then invited to speak on the Law Foundation of Nova Scotia’s Annual Report (a copy of the Report can be found on page 29 of the NSBS Annual Report 2025)
Presidential Report and Appointment
At this year’s annual meeting, Cape Breton Lawyer Candee McCarthy officially took on the role of NSBS President for the coming year.
“I am grateful for the opportunities I have had that allowed me to become part of this proud profession, and especially grateful for the opportunity to serve as your President this coming year,” said McCarthy. “We are incredibly fortunate to have such a talented and dedicated team [at the Society]. Their professionalism, expertise, and commitment to serving both the public and the profession are evident every day. It has been a privilege to see their work firsthand these last few months. I am looking forward to continuing to be part of this incredible team.”
McCarthy is joined in her new appointment by Patricia Jones, who has transitioned into the role of First Vice-President, and Robert Kennedy KC, who has taken on the role of Second Vice-President.
In her first Presidential Report, McCarthy mirrored Interim Executive Director Jennifer Pink’s recognition of the challenges facing the profession in the form of new technologies, such as AI, transforming how legal services are delivered and how the public accesses information, and growing pressures on democratic institutions and increasing challenges to the rule of law.
“While the challenges before us are significant, they are not reasons for pessimism,” said McCarthy. “They are reasons for engagement. They are opportunities to demonstrate the value of our profession, strengthen public confidence, and ensure that our regulatory framework continues to serve both lawyers and the public effectively and equitably in the years ahead.”
McCarthy also emphasized the important work that has been done this year to implement Douglas Ruck’s 21 Recommendation, while recognizing the work that remains to combat systemic discrimination in the profession.
“Addressing systemic discrimination requires honesty, transparency, commitment, persistence, and a willingness to evolve. It means looking at every aspect of our systems to find where we can do better and then do better.”
“I believe we have an opportunity not only to respond to the recommendations of the Ruck Report, but to create a Society that is stronger, more inclusive, more transparent, and more trusted because of them. The progress we have made is meaningful, but the work continues, and I am excited about where it will take us. Thank you for the confidence you have placed in me to serve as your President this coming year.”
Thank you to all those who attended this year’s Annual Meeting. We look forward to what the 2026/2027 Council year has to offer.