Former Alberta solicitor general, justice minister, to be sanctioned by the Law Society of Alberta
The Law Society of Alberta (LSA) will sanction former solicitor general and justice minister Jonathan Denis after a code of conduct committee found that he breached the code in two cases he worked on in his private law practice.
According to the Sept. 6 decision, the first case was a motor vehicle crash from 2020.
Denis was initially retained by one of the involved drivers and her father, who owned the vehicle.
He also later agreed to represent the passenger in the vehicle, who was injured in the crash.
When he found that there were "serious liability issues" with the driver's claim, he opted not to continue representing her, the decision said.
A week later, he filed a lawsuit against the driver and her father on behalf of the passenger.
Denis' lawyer argued he only realized in hindsight that there had been a technical breach of the code of conduct and as such it did not rise to the level of sanctionable conduct.
The committee found that Denis had committed a "substantial breach" and found that he opted to continue with a claim that he thought would be "more profitable" to him.
The second matter was a cease-and-desist letter Denis sent to a woman in 2021 on behalf of his client, who she was having an affair with.
According to the LSA committee's decision, Denis threatened to contact the woman's employer if she didn't stop contacting her ex-boyfriend.
"We are also aware that you are employed as a peace officer. Such conduct may verily fall outside of your code of conduct as part of your profession and our client reserves any and all additional remedies should this conduct continue," he wrote in the letter.
In a second email with the woman a month later, Denis also threatened to contact the woman's employer.
"Please be advised that if immediate compliance to this is not effected we reserve the right to take further steps at law including without limitation reporting this matter to your employer as a violation of your code of conduct as a peace officer."
The committee found that Denis had sought to benefit his client by threatening to make a complaint to a regulatory authority.
"Clearly his focus was not on protecting the public interest by making a disciplinary complaint, but on the potential civil remedies available should [the woman] not comply with the demand," the decision reads.
The committee will reconvene on a later date to hear submissions and determine the appropriate sanctions.
In 2022, Denis was cleared of contempt of court for witness intimidation.
He was found in contempt earlier that year after his law firm wrote a letter threatening to sue Anny Sauvageau, Alberta's former chief medical examiner, for defamation while she was giving testimony in her wrongful dismissal lawsuit against the province.
Denis was elected as an MLA in 2008.
He was appointed solicitor general in 2011, and served as justice minister from 2012 to 2015.
He resumed his private law practice in 2015.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'Say it to my face': Singh confronts heckling protester on Parliament Hill
NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh confronted a protester for calling him a 'corrupted bastard' on Parliament Hill on Tuesday.
Bride's family speaks as West Vancouver woman sentenced for driving SUV into wedding party
Sixty-five-year-old Hong Xu, who drove her SUV into a crowd of people celebrating a wedding at her next-door neighbour's house in West Vancouver on Aug. 20, 2022, has been sentenced under the Motor Vehicle Act for driving without due care and attention.
Why it's 'very hard' to find work in Canada
Vacancies have steadily fallen since the glut of nearly one million open posts in 2022. At the time, one in three businesses had trouble hiring staff due to a labour shortage. Since then, vacancies have dropped.
Hezbollah hit by a wave of exploding pagers and blames Israel. At least 9 dead, thousands injured
Pagers used by hundreds of members of the militant group Hezbollah exploded near simultaneously in Lebanon and Syria on Tuesday, killing at least nine people.
Sean 'Diddy' Combs jailed by judge after sex trafficking indictment
Sean 'Diddy' Combs headed to jail Tuesday to await trial in a federal sex trafficking case that accuses him of presiding over a sordid empire of sexual crimes protected by blackmail and shocking acts of violence.
Canucks' Dakota Joshua reveals he is recovering from cancer
Vancouver Canucks forward Dakota Joshua revealed Tuesday he underwent cancer treatment over the summer, and will not be ready to play when the team's training camp begins later this week.
Two people charged in murder of Halifax teen; police believe remains have been found
Halifax Regional Police believe Devon Sinclair Marsman, who disappeared in 2022, was the victim of a homicide and two people have now been charged in his death.
What is racketeering? The crime, explained
Sex trafficking, cheating scandals and mob activity may appear very different. But all fall under the broad umbrella of racketeering.
Man from Phoenix, Ariz., missing after truck plunges off Yukon bridge
Whitehorse RCMP say a man from Phoenix, Ariz., is missing after the truck he was travelling in went off a bridge and plunged into the Yukon River.