Paula Callaghan

The applicant, a former paralegal whose licence was revoked in 2018 for professional misconduct including filing forged documents and practicing while suspended, applied for re-licensing.

The Law Society referred the application to the Tribunal to determine if she met the good character requirement.

The Tribunal applied the Armstrong factors and found that the applicant lacked meaningful insight into her past misconduct and failed to demonstrate true remorse or rehabilitation.

The application for re-licensing was dismissed.

The Law Society alleged that the respondent paralegal engaged in professional misconduct by fabricating a client's signature on an affidavit, improperly commissioning it in her absence, and misleading the court by relying on it.

The paralegal admitted to the misconduct via an agreed statement of facts.

The Tribunal found the allegations substantiated.

Weighing mitigating factors including the paralegal's lack of discipline history, cooperation, and pro bono representation of the client against the serious nature of the integrity breach, the Tribunal ordered a three-month suspension and $4,000 in costs.

The Law Society brought a motion for an interlocutory suspension against three paralegals, alleging their involvement in a scheme to file meritless appeals of Highway Traffic Act guilty pleas.

The Tribunal previously dismissed the motion, finding no evidence that the paralegals had knowledge of the scheme.

The paralegals subsequently sought costs against the Law Society.

The Tribunal found that the Law Society's motion was unwarranted and doomed to fail, as it proceeded without any evidentiary foundation.

The Tribunal ordered the Law Society to pay costs to the paralegals totaling $53,000.

The Law Society brought an application alleging the respondent paralegal engaged in professional misconduct by failing to co-operate in two investigations regarding complaints of misappropriation and failure to serve.

The paralegal did not attend the hearing.

The Tribunal found the paralegal committed professional misconduct by failing to respond to communications and produce requested documentation.

Given the paralegal's history of similar misconduct and failure to participate in the regulatory process, the Tribunal found him ungovernable.

The paralegal's licence was revoked and he was ordered to pay $5,055 in costs.