Constituted in 2013, the formal mandate of the Professional Standards (Criminal Law) Committee as approved by Council of the Nova Scotia Barristers’ Society is as follows:

The Professional Standards (Criminal Law) Committee supports Council in the governance of the Society by developing professional standards for the area of criminal law.

These Standards and their featured resources are intended to be an articulation of the existing statutory and regulatory obligations for lawyers and to provide some guidance with respect to “how” a Standard might be met, taking into account the variances in practice around the province. Each proposed new Standard is first introduced to Council by the Professional Standards (Criminal Law) Committee and then communicated to the membership for review and consultation. After that process is complete, it is brought back to Council for approval and finally made fully available to lawyers through this website.

Complete Criminal Law Standards package (as a PDF) – current to November 22, 2019


#1 – Withdrawal as Counsel

#2 – Lawyers’ Competence

#3 – Defence Obligations Regarding Disclosure

#4 – Withdrawal of Guilty Plea

#5 – Cultural Competence

#6 – Charter Applications