A lawyer who was part of the legal team that represented some of the organizers of Freedom Convoy is the subject of a complaint to the Alberta Law Firm.
Keith Wilson worked for the Justice Center for Constitutional Freedom (JCCF), a legal organization and registered charity based in Calgary, when he was on the team at the height of the Ottawa demonstration.
Richard Warman, a human rights lawyer in Ottawa, claims Wilson violated his professional code of conduct and filed a formal complaint with the Alberta Law Association.
JCCF President John Carpei is already under investigation for a code of conduct for hiring a private detective to oversee a judge who handled one of the Justice Center’s cases last year.
Trudeau compared to Hitler
In a February 25, 2022, letter of complaint received from Radio-Canada, Warman wrote that Wilson had published “material urging police officers not to comply with their oath to abide by and enforce the law, as this would be beneficial to his clients. “
Warman cites a tweet posted by Wilson showing a video of a Edmonton police officer supporting truck drivers and thanking them “for standing up to police.”
“Watch this video of several hundred additional police officers who are now gathering in Ottawa to attack / arrest their fellow Canadians protesting the Charter’s rights. Decide which side of the story you are on. The world is watching, “Wilson wrote on Twitter in February. 9, 2022
This tweet was the subject of a complaint to the Alberta Law Firm. (@ ikwilson / Twitter)
The statement violates the Alberta Code of Conduct, the complaint said. For example, the code states that “when acting as a lawyer, the lawyer must represent the client decisively and honestly within the law” and that “the lawyer must promote public respect and try to improve the administration of justice”.
Warman also claims that Wilson was involved in “trivializing the Holocaust by retouching material comparing Justin Trudeau to Adolf Hitler” with the FreeTamara hashtag on convoy organizer Tamara Leach, who was arrested at the time. The Blackface tweet refers to the fact that Trudeau admitted many years ago that he wore a black face.
This retweet by Keith Wilson was part of a complaint to the Alberta Law Firm. (Twitter)
According to his complaint letter, Warman believes that these tweets violate various rules of conduct, such as the one that requires a lawyer not to communicate with anyone in the course of professional practice “in a way that is offensive, offensive, or otherwise incompatible.” with the right tone of professional communication from a lawyer. “
For his part, Wilson wrote in response to a request from Radio-Canada / CBC for comment: “I am aware of the complaint against me to the Alberta law firm by Mr. Warman. Given that the issue is now before the law society, I will not comment on the issue until this process is over or not at all. “
A protester passes through a camp near Parliament Hill in Ottawa shortly before his arrest on February 17, 2022 (Evan Mitsui / CBC)
Alberta’s law firm will not comment, as complaints and investigations are confidential.
“Questions only become public when quotes are issued and the complaint is directed to a public hearing,” the law firm said in response to a request from Radio-Canada / CBC.
The president of the JCCF is already under investigation
JCCF founder and president, attorney John Carpei, admitted last year that he had hired a private detective to monitor a Manitoba judge and senior government officials.
Chief Justice Glen Joel of the Queen’s Bench Manitoba Court is presiding over a lawsuit filed by the JCCF on behalf of a group of Manitoba churches that oppose provincial pandemic health orders.
The detective followed the judge to his private residence and villa to see if he was following the public health rules for COVID-19.
The JCCF’s own board of directors unreservedly condemned John Carpey’s decision to succeed a judge. (CBC)
Carpei and another JCCF lawyer apologized in Joel’s court.
The Canadian Bar Association and the Manitoba Bar Association unreservedly condemned the use of a private detective against a judge.
At the time, Warman also filed a complaint with the Alberta Law Firm, but he was informed that the Manitoba Law Firm was monitoring the matter and that an investigation was under way.
The JCCF’s own board of directors unreservedly condemned Carpei’s decision to be followed by a judge and announced that he would take leave indefinitely from the Justice Center in July 2021.
However, Carpei resumed his presidency the following month.
The Manitoba Law Firm confirmed to Radio-Canada / CBC that it is still investigating the case.
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