2007 : No. 1 March
John Wilson Dobbin
Vancouver, BC
Called to the bar: September 13, 1973
Suspended: June 1, 2006
Ceased membership: January 1, 2007
Discipline hearing : April 5, 27, 2006; November 8, 2006
Panel : Joost Blom, QC, Chair, Kathryn A. Berge, QC and Robert D. Punnett
Report issued : June 29, 2006 (indexed 2006 LSBC 28) and February 1, 2007 (indexed as 2007 LSBC 09)
Counsel : Brian McKinley for the Law Society and Mr. Dobbin on his own behalf
Facts
A hearing panel on October 16, 2002 suspended Mr. Dobbin for 10 months retroactive from May 28, 2002 and set a number of conditions that Mr. Dobbin had to meet following his reinstatement, including that he continue to see his psychiatrist and provide update reports to the Practice Standards Committee every three months for the first three years of practice. Mr. Dobbin was reinstated to practice on April 7, 2003 under these conditions. The Practice Standards Committee reminded Mr. Dobbin several times that he had not met these conditions.
On May 20, 2005, Mr. Dobbin provided the Law Society with a signed undertaking to provide monthly action plans commencing June 1, 2005. The Law Society warned Mr. Dobbin on June 28, 2005 that he had not provided his monthly action plan for June 1, 2005 and was now in breach of his undertaking. Mr. Dobbin admitted that he failed to provide monthly action plans to the Law Society by June 1, July 1, August 1, September 1 and October 1, 2005.
Verdict
The hearing panel found that Mr. Dobbin failed on five occasions to perform his undertaking to provide monthly action plans to the Practice Standards Committee, and failed to provide update reports on his treatment by a psychiatrist. The panel accepted that Mr. Dobbin's admission of professional misconduct was justified and found him guilty of professional misconduct.
Penalty
The hearing panel ordered that Mr. Dobbin be suspended for a minimum of one year and until he satisfies a board of examiners that his ability to practise law is not affected by a mental disability. The panel also ordered Mr. Dobbin to pay $6,914 in costs. If he resumes practice, the panel ordered he must only do so as an employee or associate and he must undergo a practice review within three months of resuming practice.