Client Whisperer Reprimanded

A reprimand has been imposed by a Hearing Committee of the Law Society of Alberta on these agreed facts

On July […], 2017, I attended an immigration hearing before a single-member panel of the IRB (the “IRB Member”) during which my client was seeking refugee protection because of her fear of persecution. Consequently, her credibility was an important part of the fact-finding process.

 The hearing was conducted by videoconference: the IRB Member was in Calgary and my client and I were in Edmonton.

At various times while my client was being questioned by the IRB Member, I made audible whispers, some of which were indiscernible (four instances)  but others of which were taken up by my client and repeated as answers to the IRB Member’s questions (six instances).  I twice denied whispering when asked about it by the IRB Member.

  I admit the following conduct:

 That my whispering obstructed the examination of my client by the IRB Member; and

That I failed to be candid with the IRB Member when I denied that I was whispering.

(Mike Frisch)