2005: No. 02 July-August
Raghbir Singh Basi
Victoria, BC
Called to the bar: May 19, 1989
Discipline hearing: September 8 and December 20, 2004
Panel: G. Glen Ridgway, QC, Chair, Ross D. Tunniclife and Gordon Turriff, QC
Reports issued: September 27, 2004 (indexed as 2004 LSBC 35) and January 14, 2005 (indexed as 2005 LSBC 01)
Counsel: Jean P. Whittow, QC for the Law Society and Mr. Basi on his own behalf
Mr. Basi breached his undertaking in relation to two real estate transactions, in 2001 and 2002, by failing to register mortgage discharges when it was an implied condition of his undertakings that he would take steps to obtain and register these discharges in a timely way.
On receiving communications from other lawyers involved in these real estate transactions, Mr. Basi failed to respond.
Contrary to Chapter 13, Rule 3 of the Professional Conduct Handbook, he also failed to respond to Law Society correspondence and other communications, specifically those:
The hearing panel found and Mr. Basi admitted that his conduct constituted professional misconduct.
The hearing panel ordered that Mr. Basi:
1. be suspended for four months, effective January 14, 2005;
2. not practise law following his suspension except in a setting approved by the Practice Standards Committee;* and
3. pay two-thirds of assessed costs.
* As of July 18, 2005 Mr. Basi has not returned to practice.