Lawyers Allegedly Behaving Badly

[FJAG]

Here's hoping someone notes the past history of misconduct and the lack of action by the bar, and seeks damages from the bar for their inaction.

If the bar starts getting hit with damages for a failure to protect the public, pre emptive suspension may well become a thing.

Dave

Bar associations have nothing to do with discipline or supervision of layers. They are an advocacy association for lawyers.

You're confusing them with law societies who are statutorily responsible for the governance of the legal profession in their province.

You are also ignoring the fact that all lawyers need to carry insurance for the negligent performance of legal duties to their clients and that all lawyers need to pay in to a reimbursement or compensation fund managed by the law society in order to make whole individuals who have lost funds due to fraud or theft by their lawyers. All the clients, who are out of pocket, need to do is file a claim with the law society.

I'm not sure what past history of misconduct you are talking about. I've had a quick look for law society decisions or court cases involving these two and all that I see is a flurry of cases that came out of 2023 and which were the subject of their suspension early this year and their current criminal investigation and civil suits (and I presume law society claims).

In order for the law society to take action there needs to be either a complaint from a client or other lawyer or the discovery of evidence during a law society audit. That action, typically an interlocutory suspension can happen quickly or may take an investigation in less obvious cases.