News & Insights

On April 17, 2024, the Ontario Superior Court of Justice released its endorsement in R. v. Lee, 2024 ONSC 2274.

AGB partner, Jordan Katz, acted for the Law Society of Ontario securing a permanent injunction under section 26.3 of the Law Society Act prohibiting the respondent, a former paralegal, from continuing to engage in the unlicensed and unauthorized provision of legal services following the revocation of his paralegal license.

The respondent took issue with the Law Society of Ontario's investigation, and also argued that the "friends and neighbour" exemption set out in section 30 of the Law Society's By-Law 4 applied to allow his continued provision of legal services. The Court disagreed. Not only had the respondent not met the elements of the exemption, but the Court accepted Jordan's submission that, even if he had, the "friends and neighbour" exemption is not available to any person whose license to provide legal services has been revoked. To permit a revoked former licensee to provide legal services in any capacity would defeat or undermine the purpose of the revocation order.