SR Vol 27 No 4, October 2009 - Nova Scotia Barristers' Society

trial and to make a full defence. If Crown Attorneys are unclear onany aspect of disclosure they need only consult the policy for a list ofwhat must be disclosed, the timing of disclosure and what to do inexceptional circumstances.The wrongful conviction of Donald Marshall and others acrossCanada has spurred the Public Prosecution Service to make asignificant investment in the development of comprehensiveprosecutorial policy and best practices aimed at avoiding any furtherwrongful convictions. All of our policies are posted on our website foranyone to read at www.gov.ns.ca/pps/.The Marshall experience has also been the catalyst for significantinvestment in Crown Attorney training. When a lawyer choosesa career in criminal prosecutions he or she is choosing a path ofcontinuous legal training and professional development. Our CrownAttorneys must attend our yearly educational conferences and are oftensent to outside conferences, seminars and training sessions on a widevariety of criminal law topics including those relevant to wrongfulconviction. For example, at our recent fall educational conference,Crown Attorneys attended a lengthy session on the disclosure ofpolice discipline records as per the recent McNeil decision out of theSupreme Court of Canada.Our efforts to improve and perfect our processes continue. All NovaScotians, no matter what their background or situation, must haveaccess to justice. Among the initiatives in that vein are our increasingability to provide French language prosecutions, our participationin the province’s much anticipated mental health court and thesharpening of specialized prosecutorial abilities in such areas ascybercrime, sexual assaults and domestic violence.The Nova Scotia Public Prosecution Service has come a long waysince Marshall. We’ve had a few bumps and missteps on the road toimproving and perfecting our processes and we may have a few moreon the journey of continuous improvement. But we are light yearsahead of where we were on May 28, 1971, the day Sandy Seale diedand Donald Marshall began to write a new chapter in Nova Scotialegal history.IAI_DatacenterAd_3.25x4.25.indd 1We ensureyou’re secure.We offer a state-of-the art,professionally managed,secure data centre.5562 Sackville StreetHalifax, Nova Scotia B3J 1L1(t) 442-1540(e) info@internetworking-atlantic.comwww.internetworking-atlantic.com18/09/2009 11:39:06 AMRight Turn?Knowing which way to turn when facing financial turmoilcan make the difference between taking the pressure offand making things even tighter. At Green Hunt Wedlakewe’ve got the experience to help turn things in the rightdirection for your clients. From workouts to restructurings,proposals and bankruptcy solutions, when your clients arein a tight situation, we can help you take the pressure off.www.WedlakeInc.com902-453-660093.800.59_WedlakeAd.indd 1October 2009 25/05/09 27 3:46 PM