HALIFAX - A Nova Scotia man accused of fatally shooting his estranged wife in a grocery store parking lot before turning the gun on himself has been found fit to stand trial.

In a 20-page decision Wednesday, the Nova Scotia Review Board stated that Wayne Eisnor's cognitive abilities have improved to such an extent that he could participate in a trial.

The two psychiatrists and two lawyers on the board reviewed the opinions of physicians and experts who evaluated Eisnor after he was charged with the first-degree murder of his wife, Tina Mae Eisnor.

He was initially found unfit to stand trial last October because of a mental impairment caused by a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head.

But the latest review suggests Eisnor does have a basic understanding of the court process and could go ahead with a trial if given breaks and explanations of the proceedings.

"We find that he does meet the relatively low standard of 'limited cognitive capacity,"' the decision states. "We therefore find that he is now fit to stand trial and order his return to court."

Eisnor's case is scheduled to return to Bridgewater provincial court on July 27. Chris Hansen of the Public Prosecution Service said the board has found him fit, but a judge will still have to decide.

She said the hearing next week will set dates to begin the process of determining his fitness.

Eisnor was charged with first-degree murder after his wife was shot in the head as she sat in a van in New Germany on June 30, 2010.

Doctors found that he suffers from amnesia and remembers nothing of the events on that day or for months before.

He was detained at the East Coast Forensic Hospital and underwent several cognitive assessments that found last October that he was functioning "in the extremely low to borderline range of intelligence."

The physicians said his verbal abilities were diminished and had poor verbal comprehension.

His condition had improved by November and one doctor concluded that he was fit to stand trial, though his lawyer argued he could still not communicate with counsel because he couldn't recall facts about the allegation.

Another expert said some of his abilities appeared to improve over time and that his amnesia does not make him unfit.

The board automatically reviews anyone found unfit.