Particle.news
Download on the App Store
3 ARTICLES
·
9h ago

Law Society of Alberta Disbars Calgary Lawyers Over Surveillance of Manitoba Chief Justice

The panel ruled the 2021 scheme was an attack on judicial independence.

Lawyer John Carpay is shown in a 2012 file photo. Carpay, president of the Calgary-based Justice Centre for Constitutional Freedoms, and another lawyer are facing charges under the Law Society of Manitoba. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Bill Graveland
Glenn Joyal, Chief Justice of the Court of Queen's Bench, was followed by a private investigator in 2021 hired by two Calgary lawyers who believed he was not following Covid restrictions.

Overview

  • The Law Society of Alberta disbarred John Carpay and Jay Cameron, ending their ability to practise in the province.
  • The committee found they hired a private investigator to follow Chief Justice Glenn Joyal during a COVID-19 restrictions case, and an agent went to his home and spoke with his daughter.
  • The panel deemed Carpay an unreliable historian with inconsistencies in his testimony and concluded only disbarment could maintain the profession’s reputation.
  • The lawyers are already banned for life from practising in Manitoba and are under a three-year Canada-wide practice prohibition tied to a peace bond after criminal charges were withdrawn.
  • The hearing committee ordered costs of $7,457.50 for Carpay and $5,270.63 for Cameron, as the JCCF condemned the process and the lawyers weigh appeals.