Summary of Decision on Application for Call and Admission
Applicant 11
Hearing (application for call and admission): November 1, 2016
Panel: Bruce LeRose, QC, Chair, Brook Greenberg and Graeme Roberts
Decision issued: November 18, 2016 (2016 LSBC 38)
Counsel: Jean P. Whittow, QC for the Law Society; Garth McAlister for Applicant 11
BACKGROUND
Having completed nine months of articles with her principal, Applicant 11 commenced the Professional Legal Training Course (PLTC) in February 2016. On April 7, 2016, a PLTC instructor noticed similarities in the assessments submitted by Applicant 11 and another student. Upon further review, similarities were also noted in a prior assessment submitted by Applicant 11 and the same other student.
Applicant 11 admitted to working with the other student on the two assessments. Upon request, the Applicant willingly provided the deputy director of PLTC with correspondence between herself and the other student. Applicant 11 sent a letter to the Credentials Committee apologizing for collaborating on the assessments and took responsibility for violating PLTC’ s explicit Professional Integrity Policy, acknowledging that what she did is classified as cheating.
The panel considered that the Applicant immediately admitted her conduct without any evasiveness or excuses; cooperated fully in the PLTC investigation of the matter, including volunteering Facebook Messenger communications; wrote a letter of apology; and voluntarily sought counselling to address the underlying issue of her response to the extreme stresses in her life.
DECISION
The panel found that Applicant 11 satisfied the onus of demonstrating, on a balance of probabilities, that she is of sufficiently good character and repute to be called to the Bar of British Columbia and is fit for admission as a solicitor of the Supreme Court of British Columbia.
2016 LSBC 38 Decision on Application for Call and Admission