Law Times

PAGE 8 T LSUC defends budget, disciplinary process COMMENT he Law Times published a letter in regards to the Law Society of Upper Canada' assertions cifically focused on the increasing costs of regulation. His assertions are selective and therefore create an unbalanced picture. For example, Trudell points s budget that spe- Sept. 17 issue of the paper. Trudell made a number of Trudell on the Speaker's Corner column of the from William to increases in budgets between 2006 and 2011 to support his ar- guments. What is not included in his analysis, however, is that during this period the law society experienced an overall 23-per-cent in- crease in the number of cases handled by the complaints departments. This included an increase in complex and serious investigations leading to pros- ecutions in areas such as mortgage fraud. This increased complex- ity has meant that the number of days required for hearings has grown by more than 60 per cent over the last four years. Additionally, since 2007 the u Letter TO THE EDITOR gals, leading to a further addition to the budget funded by parale- gals themselves. Beginning in the same year, the law society also ex- perienced a significant increase in complaints concerning unauthor- ized practice, requiring investiga- tion and, at times, prosecution. Trudell refers to the opera- tions and the processes of the law society has regulated parale- under the Law Society Act to re- view the results of staff investiga- tions and determine what regula- tory action is required, if any. It does not hold a hearing, proceedings authoriza- tion committee in his comments about the regulatory process. It is a committee established paralegal can defend against the allegations with the benefit of full process. A review of recent decisions shows that in almost all conduct cases, the hearing panel makes a finding of mis- conduct, an indication that gen- erally the committee' nor is it required to do so. Its authority is to instruct staff. One of its functions is to autho- rize hearings, including con- duct hearings. Where a hearing is authorized, the lawyer or Law Times congratulates the 231 new lawyers who were called to the bar last month. A ceremony to mark the occasion took place in Toronto last Monday at Roy Thomson Hall. Albert Leonid Abaunza Duran Lev B Abramovich Elizabeth Agbi Ahmed Ibrahim Ahmed Absiye Suha Diana Subhi Abu-Jazar Ali Afzal Samira Mobina Ahmed Khadeeja Afreen Ahsan Mehreen Mahmood Alavi Kimberley Georgia Allardyce Kristen Anne Allen Brandon Michael Ament Tahira Amin Cabera Shivani Anand Navneet Kaur Dhaliwal Natalie-Natasha Domazet Troy Claude Dore Grzegorz Marcin Dorsz Stacey Megan Douglas Marc Warren Kitay Melissa Nicole Knox Amit Kwatra Kelly Ann Labine Keisha Sade Elisabeth Athanas Jana Baca Raha Bahreini Lauren Francis Baker Aghilan Balachandran Olivia Balanga Balanga Santos Marek Pawel Balinski Kaluhennadige A Bandara Gabrielle Marie Suzie Beaulieu James Beesley Rinat Begaliyev Leila Beheshti Sukhjinder Sing Bhangu Jaspal Singh Bhullar Bhavin Gautam Bilimoria Lyle Block Collins Abigail Carol Rita Boleslava Dubiniecki Matthias Duensing Shannon Catherine Durno Deepshikha Dutt Martina Dwyer Ozlem Eskicioglu Maria Esmatyar Insiya Ilyas Essajee Joanna Lokisha Eubanks Farah Christine Vinta Fard Scott Ian Ferguson Jeremy Eric Fox Kiera Susan Gans Zlatina S Georgieva Mona Ghanei Catherine Carmen Marie Boivin Céleste Simone Rita Boyer Jonathon Kenneth Bradbury Calvin Cameron Brown Jamie Alexander Bruce Pamela Ann Buchanan Christopher Adrian Buck Hussain Bukhari Patrick Simon Cahill Jeffrey Andrew Carolin Joshua David Chan Ajwinder Singh Chatha Tiffany Danielle Chatterton Mandeep Kaur Chhokar Cherrine Callista Chow Elvina Catherine Hou-Yan Chow Ken Chow Andrew Robert Christie David Adeyinka Coker Erin Michelle Craddock Emma Teresa Cregan Susanna Melissa Crichlow Peter Arthur Cruickshank Marc Anthony Simone Cumbo Paul Daly Merai Daoud Christine Mae Davidson Deana Susan De Grace Jennifer Leigh Dell'Unto James William Gibson Ashley-Rose Gillespie Anita Chetna Goela Nader Gohar Jeffrey Robert Goit Mark Morris Golinski Rita Vanessa Gonsalves Daniel Jason Greenberg Emma Lee Gregg Meena Kumari Gupta Firdose Haffejee Vladimir Hajtol John Michael Hammond Meghan Elizabeth Hanlon Sandeep Kaur Hanspal Rohan Rahul Haté Gillian Patricia Hayes Casey Alexander Hayward Christine Carole Hodgins Brendan John Alfred Holness Sierra Jessica Hubble Ahmed Dirir Hussen Fahrin Jaffer Navneet Kaur Jaswal Graham David Jenner Sarah Evelyn Jones Angela Sudhakar Joshi Razmeen Joya Hyung Jin Jun Eun Ju Jung Robert John Kalanda Andreas John Michael Kalogiannides Natalie Roberta Kanerva Rupa Lakshmi Karyampudi Ameera Qamar Khan Imran Ali Khan Abdur Rahman Khurram Lesley Fay Ruth King Ildiko Kiss Gisele Anick Stéphanie Lafrance Joanna Margaux Langille Rebecca Ka Men Law Andrew Youngkyu Lee Michael Bernard Lesage Candice Hui-Lin Leung Hubert Yu Him Leung Margaret Liddle Ryan Kenneth Liss Jessica Lithwick Mandy Sin Man Lui Jacqueline Joyce Luksha Kristen Ann Mac Donald Lori Christine Mac Intosh Jeffrey Daniel Major Muhammad Atique Malik Ashleigh Alanna Martin Scott Charles Mc Ansh Shadrach Robert Mc Cooeye Kathryn Ann Mc Goldrick Rebecca Anne McConchie Kevin Singh Mehar Panayiotis Meitanis Peter Robert Mendelsohn Lata Jayamohan Menon Maheen Merchant Geoffrey Neil Metropolit Winston Chung-Hung Moh Maleeka Nooruddin Mohamed Rebecca Vaughan Moore Larissa Christina Moscu Megan Maurie Mutcheson Samantha Nassar Georges Alexander Nassrallah Joanna Beth Nefs Ekaterina Neouimina Irene Li Ming Ng Stuart Joseph Norris Chukwuma Chuks Oriuwa Faustina Adoma Otchere Dennis Ovsyannikov Lester Geovany Ramirez Cuellar Lucy Katharine Rasmussen Lila Najeh Yousef Nabhan Kaleb Refaie Jeffrey Isadore Reisman Stuart Turner Richmond Marina Huguette Ripoche Emilie Pauline Robineau Matthew Harris Rosenberg Sophie Marie Catherine Roy-Lafleur Meena Kumari Sadioura Nima Safarzadeh Amiri Michelle Ramona Samaroo Sarita Christine Lalsingh Samaroo- Tsaktsiris Rakesh Kumar Sareen Jeofrey Shiekh Shaefann Smeeta Sieuraj Vikram Singh Ian Sonshine be frank and clear with lawyers under investigation. In fact, when the law society receives a com- plaint against a lawyer or para- legal and it is determined that an investigation is required, the licensee is provided with a letter that sets out the allegations in the complaint as well as information about resources, including repre- sentation, that are available. The licensee is also directed to a spe- cific page on the law society web site that provides information about available resources, includ- ing help with mental-health and addiction issues. Trudell states that in cases in tions are well-founded. Trudell asks the law society to Melanie Katherine Charity Beresh Smith Sarah Michaely Sriskandarajah Melissa Ann Stamkos Leah Michele Stansbury Ann Marie Stilla Mark Andrew Stoiko David Montgomery Struthers Charles Jordan Mc Enroe Swan Vanessa Nora Szirmak Yashar Tahmassebipour Anita Taneja Amanda Tiffany Molly Taylor Sarah Elizabeth Templeton Diana Tesic Aleksandra Ruta Pacevicius Pace Rinus J. Pais Liyanage Iromi Rochelle Perera Katherine Nicole Peto Charlotte Huntsman Porter Rebecca Oato Procter Robert Stanley Prosper Mary Catherine Race Thurga Rita Rajakulasooriyar Christopher Michael Scott Parton Anjli Patel Elena Pelz Jason Anthony Resendes Pilgrim Vlad Popescu Jennifer Michelle Thompson Michael Vincent Tomassini Tara Jacqueline Train Daniele Moise Trimmeliti Federico Edgardo Tyrawskyj Luc Roland Vaillancourt Andreea Roxana Vasiliu Tyler Weston Vibert Lauren Kathleen Olive Warner Ryan Reil Watkins Jonathan Weingarten Camille Saba Eagle Williams Greg LingYu Wu Hilary Alexis Wyche Seo Yun Yang Mathumai Yogeswaran Sara Michelle Young Kalman Kuchai Zamkanei Hannah Rebekah Zarek Zoë Jingjing Zeng Xue Zhou Eva Laura Zucker Source: Law Society of Upper Canada which a lawyer under investiga- tion is failing to respond or com- municate, remedies other than a summary conduct proceeding should be utilized. In an investiga- tion, when a lawyer or paralegal is unresponsive, the law society takes a number of steps to contact them before commencing a proceeding on the basis that they failed to re- spond or to co-operate with an in- vestigation. These efforts include multiple communications, regis- tered letters, attempts at personal contact, and other means. Lawyers and paralegals fail to co-operate with or respond to the law society for many reasons, in- cluding, in some cases, mental ill- ness and addictions. If the law so- ciety becomes aware of an illness, this is taken into consideration in making a determination as to the appropriate course of regulatory action. However, when a lawyer is completely unresponsive to law society requirements for informa- tion, it must proceed to do what is necessary in the public interest and this can include a conduct hearing where appropriate. Robert G.W. Lapper CEO, Law Society of Upper Canada With more than 1,400 pages of essential legal references, Ontario Lawyer's Phone Book is your best connection to legal services in Ontario. Subscribers can depend on the credibility, accuracy and currency of this directory year after year. More detail and a wider scope of legal contact information for Ontario than any other source: postal codes Lists of: THIS SPECIAL OFFER EXPIRES DECEMBER 1, 2011 Federal and provincial judges Federal courts, including a section for federal government departments, boards and commissions EARLY BIRD MULTIPLE COPY DISCOUNTS On subscription or One time purchase Untitled-1 1 www.lawtimesnews.com Ontario courts and services, including a section for provincial government ministries, boards and commissions Small claims courts Contact information that is current, up to date and easy to find: and stay flat "Blue pages" to highlight government listings Canadian Law List, a Thomson Reuters business Prices subject to change without notice, and to applicable taxes. Visit carswell.com or call 1.800.387.5164 for a 30-day no-risk evaluation CANADIAN LAW LIST s instruc- OctOber 1, 2012 • Law times 12-09-26 9:22 AM

• Cover