A lawyer who was part of the legal team representing some of the organizers of the Freedom Convoy is the subject of a complaint to the Law Society of Alberta.
Keith Wilson was working for the Center for Justice for Constitutional Freedoms (JCCF), a registered legal and charity organization based in Calgary, when he was on that team at the height of the demonstration in Ottawa.
Richard Warman, an Ottawa human rights lawyer, alleges that Wilson violated his code of professional conduct and has filed a formal complaint with the Law Society of Alberta.
JCCF President John Carpay is already under investigation into the code of conduct for hiring a private detective to follow a judge who presided over one of the Justice Center cases last year.
Trudeau compared to Hitler
In a letter of complaint dated February 25, 2022, obtained by Radio-Canada, Warman writes that Wilson published “material urging law enforcement officers to disobey their oath to uphold and enforce the law because it would benefit their clients.” “.
Warman points to a tweet posted by Wilson showing a video of an Edmonton police officer supporting truckers and thanking them “for confronting police officers.”
“Watch this video of the hundreds of additional police officers now rallying in Ottawa to attack / arrest their Canadian counterparts who are protesting the rights of the Charter. Decide which side of the story you are on. The world is watching.” write Wilson on Twitter in February. 9, 2022.
This tweet was the subject of a complaint to the Law Society of Alberta. (@ ikwilson / Twitter)
This message violates the Law Society of Alberta’s code of conduct, the complaint alleges. For example, the code states that “when acting as a lawyer, a lawyer must represent the client decisively and honestly within the limits of the law” and that “a lawyer must promote public respect and try to improve the administration.” of justice “.
Warman also alleges that Wilson was involved in “trivializing the Holocaust by retweeting material comparing Justin Trudeau to Adolf Hitler,” with the FreeTamara label in reference to the convoy’s organizer, Tamara Lich, who had been arrested in that moment. In the tweet, “Blackface” refers to the fact that Trudeau previously acknowledged using blackface many years ago.
This retweet by Keith Wilson was part of a complaint to the Law Society of Alberta. (Twitter)
According to his letter of complaint, Warman believes that these tweets violate different rules of code of conduct, such as one that requires that in the course of a professional practice, a lawyer should not communicate with any person “of abusive, offensive, or otherwise inconsistent with the proper tone of a lawyer’s professional communication. “
For his part, Wilson wrote in response to Radio-Canada / CBC’s request for comment: “I am aware of Mr. Warman’s complaint against me before the Law Society of Alberta. the matter is now before the law. society, I will not comment on the matter until the process is completed, or at all. “
A protester walks through a camp near Parliament Hill in Ottawa shortly before his arrest on February 17, 2022. (Evan Mitsui / CBC)
The Law Society of Alberta would not comment, as the complaints and investigations are confidential.
“Matters are only made public when summonses are issued and a complaint is addressed to a public hearing,” the Bar Association wrote in response to the Radio-Canada / CBC consultation.
The JCCF president is already under investigation
JCCF founder and president John Carpay, a lawyer, admitted last year that he had hired a private detective to supervise a Manitoba judge and senior government officials.
Chief Justice Glenn Joyal of the Queen’s Bank Manitoba Court presided over a case initiated by the JCCF on behalf of a group of Manitoba churches that opposed provincial pandemic health orders.
The detective followed the judge to his private residence and home to see if he complied with the public health standards of COVID-19.
JCCF’s own board unreservedly condemned John Carpay’s decision to pursue a judge. (CBC)
Carpay and another JCCF lawyer apologized in court to Joyal.
The Canadian Bar Association and the Manitoba Bar Association unreservedly denounced the use of a private investigator against a judge.
Warman also filed a complaint with the Law Society of Alberta at the time, but was informed that the Law Society of Manitoba was overseeing the matter and that an investigation was already underway.
JCCF’s own board unreservedly condemned Carpay’s decision to have a judge in line and announced that he would take an indefinite term from the Justice Center in July 2021.
The following month, however, Carpay resumed his responsibilities as president.
The Law Society of Manitoba has confirmed to Radio-Canada / CBC that it is still investigating the matter.