SR Vol 25 No 1, January 2007 - Nova Scotia Barristers' Society

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We’ve MovedYour one-stop shop has moved. So what’s different?Nothing. We’ll still pickup and deliver any order while offeringthe same great print and legal copy service you’ve come to expect.E-mail us at info@fusionprint.ca for a pickup or call 442 5031.FuSion PriNt + imagiNg26 Crane Lake DriveHalifax, Nova Scotia B3S 1B4t 902 442 5031 f 902 420 9357e info@fusionprint.ca w fusionprint.caWelcome to 2007, and to this, the slightly new and improvedversion of the Society Record. As most of you are alreadyaware, the Record – in a bid to more productively make use ofour limited time and resources here in the Society’s Communicationsdepartment – will now be published on a quarterly basis.That means we’ll be coming to you every three months insteadof every two, while still delivering the same quality and contentyou’ve grown used to receiving. Also, in a bid to maximize thecommunications potential of the magazine, we’ve now added anew “Society News” section (which you’ll find located on pages14-15 of this issue). Through this new two-page section, we’ll bepassing along Society communications or “news” of interest andimportance; letting you know what’s happening in the Society’sfour departments: Administration, Admissions & ProfessionalDevelopment, Professional Responsibility, and Library & InfomationServices.And finally, I’d like to wish everyone health and happiness in2007, and send a warm thank-you to all those who contributed tothe magazine over the last year, as well as to those whose doorsI’ll be knocking on over the coming one.D e a r M e m b e r sWith this issue of the SocietyRecord we embarkupon the next phase of theSociety’s improved communicationswith our members.For, within weeks of receivingthis issue, our new websitewill be launched. This newsite will complement ourprint and electronic publications– which currently provide the more thoughtful and reflectiveinformation of the work of the Society and lawyers from allparts of the Province - by providing you with up-to-date information– truly at your fingertips.To free up resources needed to develop and maintain the websitewe will be reducing the number of issues of the record to fourper year. That is unfortunate, but we do want to maintain thequality you have come to expect, and with finite resources wecannot do everything we would like.Over the next few months we will be introducing other means toallow you to receive information more specifically tailored to yourindividual needs. Every member has a unique password for entryinto the Society’s database and we’ll soon be asking you to letus know about which areas of law you’d like to receive new casesfrom, or, in another vein, which areas of Continuing ProfessionalDevelopment most interest you. This new tool, which we refer to as“e-Communities” provides us with yet another way of improvingthe quality of the information you receive.These are exciting times and we are pleased to continue toenhance the quality of the services we provide, which in turnimproves your ability to practice better.Darrel Pink, Executive DirectorNova Scotia Barristers’ SocietyThe Society Record
thepresident’sviewrecently had occasion to speak at an All Courts Conference inI Halifax – sponsored by the National Judicial Institute – on theissue of courthouse security. Various other stakeholders werealso present in order to give their perspective on this issue– currently high on the radar screen of judges, lawyers, government,and the public in general. I’d like to share a brief summaryof my thoughts, as conveyed at that conference.Before making any hard and fast decisions on this issue, Ibelieve it’s important to first identify and outline the variousissues and concepts which need to be addressed. I see thoseissues as follows:1) Conducting a proper risk assessment – Before jumpinginto this quagmire feet first, the appropriate authorities mustdetermine where and how tax dollars are best spent. We needonly look at the goings on in a courtroom, on any given day,to see that emotions often run high (which we’ve all witnessedat one time or another), and often come on both quickly andunpredictably. It is important, through further investigation,to develop a mechanism whereby certain types of cases orcourtrooms are identified as being more likely to experience anincident than others, while always recognizing the possibilityfor an incident to occur in any legal forum. Suffice it to saythat a risk assessment is crucial to identifying the best use oflimited tax dollars.2) Costs – This leads me into the second important issue –costs. Obviously, as with any other situation, the governmentwill not have unlimited resources or monies at its disposal.When attempting to effect appropriate changes, it must bedetermined whether new money will be expended in this area,and if so, to what extent. Equally important is whether taxdollars are going to be diverted from other important issues,or to the potential detriment of other programs or groups ofpeople. Obviously, not everybody is going to be satisfied withthe end results of any assessment.3) Proportionality – The present line of thinking wouldseem to indicate that the types of programs that may beimplemented in one area will not necessarily be consistentthroughout the Province. In making decisions as to where andhow to enact new procedures, the system needs to be able toprovide adequate responses as to why substantial changes arebeing made in some courts, while little or no change is madein others. While nobody is suggesting that certain courts orjudges are more important than others, the authorities shouldnonetheless be prepared (and have appropriate responsesin place) to answer those who may question the need formechanisms in place in some areas and not others.These issues have been the subject of considerable discussionamong the Judiciary, the Department of Justice, the Nova ScotiaBarristers’ Society, as well as other stakeholders. In attemptingto craft a solution, we must not lose sight of public perceptionwith respect to access to justice and the openness of the justicesystem. It is important that we not create a regime whichappears to offer a measure of privilege to judges, lawyers, orother participants in the system. We must also be careful not tocreate a system which makes us look (to the public and others)as if we are using a sledgehammer to kill a flea. It’s a finebalance to strike.We must take both a principled and yet practical approachand strive to implement measured appropriate responses andsafeguards to potential acts of violence in our courtrooms. January 2007
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SR Vol 25 No 1, January 2007 - Nova Scotia Barristers' Society

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