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In Canada, the Law Societies have a reputation for concealing the wrongdoings of lawyers on a systemic level. In one way I can understand if they do this once for some recent law grad who made a dumb mistake due to inexperience. But when they repeatedly cover up even egregious cases of ineffective assistance of counsel or criminal offenses like extortion and billing-fraud, I think such cover-ups, when discovered, taints the entire legal profession.
I am doing a thesis on Legal Ethics of Refugee Extraditions and came across this "unusual" case of a Canadian lawyer named William Gilmour of Ontario, Canada who basically fabricated his legal credentials to a whistle blower client and former federal agent of the U.S. government who sought sanctuary in Canada with his Canadian wife and children. Upon arriving in Canada he filed a refugee claim.
When reviewing the case files it is impossible to dismiss the many legal failures of Gilmour that are self-explanatory and IMO, so far beyond the code of ethics, that it is unbelievable there was no disbarrment. Read this and see if you agree... http://GilmourLawSocietyComplaint.wordpress.com.
Now also consider that the lawyer in question was also terminated from his former law firm for "billing irregularities" and prior to becoming a lawyer was involved in a wrongful shooting incident as an RCMP officer and asked to resign. Then according to the archives at Tom Davis Courthouse in Brampton, Ontario, this same attorney was himself arrested for assaulting a minor.
Shortly thereafter he began "misplacing" documentary evidence when the client suggested he would terminate his representation. Now that you know this background, can you fathom any reason why the Law Society would continue covering-up for this attorney?
I am doing a thesis on Legal Ethics of Refugee Extraditions and came across this "unusual" case of a Canadian lawyer named William Gilmour of Ontario, Canada who basically fabricated his legal credentials to a whistle blower client and former federal agent of the U.S. government who sought sanctuary in Canada with his Canadian wife and children. Upon arriving in Canada he filed a refugee claim.
When reviewing the case files it is impossible to dismiss the many legal failures of Gilmour that are self-explanatory and IMO, so far beyond the code of ethics, that it is unbelievable there was no disbarrment. Read this and see if you agree... http://GilmourLawSocietyComplaint.wordpress.com.
Now also consider that the lawyer in question was also terminated from his former law firm for "billing irregularities" and prior to becoming a lawyer was involved in a wrongful shooting incident as an RCMP officer and asked to resign. Then according to the archives at Tom Davis Courthouse in Brampton, Ontario, this same attorney was himself arrested for assaulting a minor.
Shortly thereafter he began "misplacing" documentary evidence when the client suggested he would terminate his representation. Now that you know this background, can you fathom any reason why the Law Society would continue covering-up for this attorney?
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