Summary of Decision on Facts and Determination
Christopher James Wilson
Saanichton, BC
Called to the bar: July 10, 1980
Discipline hearing: May 17, 2019
Panel: Craig Ferris, QC (chair); Ralston S. Alexander, QC; J. Paul Ruffell
Decision issued: July 9, 2019 (2019 LSBC 25)
Counsel: Michael Shirreff for the Law Society; Richard Margetts, QC, for Christopher James Wilson
FACTS
A trust compliance audit of Christopher James Wilson’ s firm revealed numerous irregularities. Following a Law Society investigation, Wilson admitted to giving a person who is not a lawyer blank trust cheques; permitting staff to withdraw funds from his trust account by way of cheques that were not signed by a lawyer; failing to comply with Law Society Rules regarding client identification and verification; and either failing to ensure the security of his electronic-signature password or disclosing his password to staff and allowing them to affix his digital signature on electronic instruments.
The Law Society and Wilson submitted an agreed statement of facts, and the hearing panel approved a joint application to proceed on written materials only.
DETERMINATION
The panel accepted Wilson’ s admissions and determined that he committed professional misconduct with regard to each of the four allegations contained in the citation.
2019 LSBC 25 Decision on Facts and Determination