Ministerial Statement – Minister Recognizes Legal Aid NL and Retiring Provincial Director

  • Justice and Public Safety

June 25, 2019

The following statement was given today in the House of Assembly by the Honourable Andrew Parsons, Minister of Justice and Public Safety:

Mr. Speaker, I am pleased to stand today to recognize the hard work of our Legal Aid team and retiring Provincial Director Nick Summers.

In April, the Legal Aid Commission launched their new name, look and brand to change people’s perception of the team. They wanted to show people that they are a team of highly educated, experienced and fully accredited lawyers, many with years of experience. This initiative was led by Nick Summers.

Mr. Speaker, Mr. Summers has been with Legal Aid NL since 1990, starting in the position of staff solicitor after spending time working in Ontario. Since that time, he has also held the positions of St. John’s Area Director, Senior Solicitor – Family and Civil Law, and Deputy Director – Administration, before taking on his current role as Provincial Director. On September 30, 2019, Mr. Summers will be retiring and we are grateful for the work he has done for the people of the province over the past 29 years.

Legal Aid NL has over 130 lawyers and staff operating at 17 locations. They offer services to eligible individuals in the areas of family, criminal and some administrative law matters and aim to ensure all people, regardless of means, capacity or social situation, have access to the knowledge and services they require to protect their basic legal rights. The funding for Legal Aid is provided by the federal and provincial governments and by the Law Foundation of Newfoundland and Labrador.

Mr. Speaker, as the new logo states, these are real lawyers for real people and the brand embodies five main values: accountability, collaboration, compassion, respect and openness. I want to thank everyone at Legal Aid for their hard work and continued dedication and wish Mr. Summers all the best in his retirement.

Thank you.

2019 06 25 1:50 pm