A lawyer pleaded guilty to 12 counts including obstruct justice, using and dealing with forged documents, forgery, and fraudulently personating another person.
The offences involved systematically defrauding multiple clients by forging court orders, settlement agreements, and affidavits of service, and misrepresenting the status of their legal cases.
The Crown sought a 6-month jail term emphasizing denunciation and deterrence, while the defence sought a conditional sentence of 12-18 months.
The court imposed an 18-month conditional sentence, finding that the offender's undiagnosed and untreated Major Depressive Disorder contributed to the offences, that rehabilitation was a primary concern, and that collateral consequences including disbarment provided sufficient denunciation and deterrence.
