NSLA Interim CEO Appointed
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
July 24, 2026
NSLA Appoints D. Peter Mancini, KC as Interim CEO
Halifax, Nova Scotia – Today, July 24, 2026, the Board of Directors of the Nova Scotia Legal Aid Commission are pleased to announce the appointment of D. Peter Mancini, KC, as Interim Chief Executive Officer (CEO) effective August 4, 2026
Mr. Mancini’s appointment fills the vacancy created by the appointment of former CEO Charlene Moore, KC, to the Supreme Court of Nova Scotia (Family Division).
D. Peter Mancini, KC, is a widely respected Nova Scotia lawyer with more than four decades of experience in criminal and family law, including 25 years with Nova Scotia Legal Aid. Mr. Mancini started as a lawyer with Nova Scotia Legal Aid in 1986 and was the organization’s Service Delivery Director from 2010 until 2015. Mr. Mancini is also a former Member of Parliament, taught at the University College of Cape Breton and Schulich School of Law, and as well as serving as a member of the Social Security Tribunal of Canada, he was appointed to its successor, the Employment Insurance Board of Appeal Canada. He received the Queen’s Counsel (now King’s Counsel) designation in 2014.
“On behalf of the Board of Directors, I am delighted to welcome Peter Mancini as Interim Chief Executive Officer of Nova Scotia Legal Aid. We are fortunate to have someone of Mr. Mancini’s calibre, experience, and with such a deep understanding of our organization and the communities we serve during this transition period,” said George Ash, Chair of the Board of Directors.
Nova Scotia Legal Aid – the Province’s leading access to justice organization – marks 50 years as an independent Commission in 2027. Over the past five years the organization has been transforming to meet the evolving legal needs of Nova Scotians. This has included introducing wraparound legal services in the areas of social justice, mental health, and prison law; enhancing internal capacity and expertise through the creation of a Complex Criminal & Strategic Litigation Office; and by opening its first office in an Indigenous community through collaboration with Sipekne’katik First Nation.
“It is an honour to return to Nova Scotia Legal Aid as Interim CEO. Nova Scotia Legal Aid has been a significant part of my professional life because I deeply believe in the important role the organization plays in promoting fairness, dignity, and access to justice,” said D. Peter Mancini, KC. He continued, “I look forward to working alongside Nova Scotia Legal Aid’s talented staff and justice system partners to build on the remarkable progress achieved under Justice Moore’s leadership and to continue advancing Nova Scotia Legal Aid’s mission of delivering high-quality, client-centred legal services.”
Nova Scotia Legal Aid’s Board of Directors will begin a recruitment process to select the next permanent Chief Executive Officer in the months ahead.
Key Facts
Last year, Nova Scotia Legal Aid:
- Handled more than 13,000 full-service legal files;
- Provided duty counsel services more than 21,00 times;
- Gave summary legal advice 2,410 times; and
- Contracted private practice lawyers to work on almost 4,000 more files.
This assisted thousands of Nova Scotians with the legal issues that mattered most in their lives — when their housing was at risk, when their children were affected, or when their liberty hung in the balance.
About Nova Scotia Legal Aid
NSLA provides free legal information, advice, and representation to Nova Scotians facing criminal, family, or social justice issues. With 25 service offices across the Province, NSLA focuses on serving low income and equity-deserving populations as well as those experiencing gender-based, intimate partner, or family violence. NSLA has specialized service offices for youth, social justice, child protection, mental health legal services, criminal and family appeals, and complex criminal and strategic litigation.
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Media Contact
Morgan Manzer, Communications Strategist
Communications@nslegalaid.ca | 902.452.3285
