Last November, a University of Ottawa law professor filed complaints of professional misconduct against two lawyers for their alleged role in the Senate expense scandal.
Beyond questioning the ethics of the lawyers involved, Amir Attaran, who holds the Canada Research Chair in Law, Population Health and Global Development Policy, said he wanted to probe the effectiveness of the law societies responsible for protecting the public.
Suspended senator Mike Duffy is now facing 31 criminal counts of fraud, breach of trust and bribery, involving a $90,000 payment from Stephen Harper’s former chief of staff, Nigel Wright.
The Star has confirmed that neither of the lawyers who were allegedly aware of the terms of the payment will face a formal disciplinary hearing. But because of the secrecy shrouding complaints against lawyers, very little has emerged about the investigations.
Attaran, who only learned the complaints had been dismissed as a result of media inquiries, said there are still many unanswered questions.
“I’ve never heard anything from the investigators,” he said. “I don’t know whether the investigators have even interviewed the persons in question. I don’t know if the investigators have spoken with the RCMP.
“It’s a black box.”
READ MORE: http://www.thestar.com/news/canada/2014/10/26/case_closed_on_lawyers_in_mike_duffynigel_wright_affair.html
READ MORE: http://www.thestar.com/news/canada/2014/10/26/case_closed_on_lawyers_in_mike_duffynigel_wright_affair.html
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