ree 1é, The Heratd, Tuesday, January 27, 1981 Disbarred lawyers pose | question on profession | TORONTO (CP) — In the ‘last year, 12 Ontario lawyers have CL i disbarred, five susperkled ‘and nine reprimanded — Neading some to question iwhat is happening to the ‘honorable profession. The Law Society of lupper Canada, which _Tegulates and disciplines ‘the province’s 14,118 ‘lawyers, is facing unprece- -dented demands on its -eompensation fund, which attempts to repay victims jof fraudulent lawyers. ‘ The amount paid by the fund, to which all lawyers ‘gontribute $50 a year, rose ;lo $738,000 last year from ‘$410,000 in 1979. ' “As a lawyer and as & ‘citizen, I'm very concerned with the numbers of ilawyers being charged ‘with criminal offences," jsaid H’A. Leal, Ontario ‘deputy attorney-general. In Hamilton, four lawyers were stripped of — fi + a their professional] standing last year and sent to prison for stealing more than $5 ° million from clients. ‘The incidents led County Court Judge William Perras to say in December that the numbers of lawyers running afoul of the Iaw in the Hi -nilton area had reached “epidemic proportions.” But John Bowlby of Hamilton, treasurer of the law society, says ‘‘the number of dishonest lawyers is a ‘fraction of one per cent and it exists in every profession."’ “It’'a an unfortunate happenstance that Hamilton in one year has: - found its overshare of that small percentage. I know of no test man has devised to screen that fraction that causes so Tauch trouble to the honest lawyers.” Some lawyers say fewer of their colleagues would bein trouble if they stuck to the job they: were trained for and stayed out of in- vestment counselling. The classic situation is the lawyer who works on an estate case, then offers to invest the money for his client, said Hamilton lawyer Dermot Nolan. "That's where I think he makes his mistake, although I’m in a minority,’”’ said Nolan, Lawyers may offer in- vestment advice, provided‘ — they are not investing clients’ money in their own companies. There are strict law society rules goverfing lawyers borrowing money from their clients. The glut of lawyers in Ontario is also a cause of the problems, other lawyers say. The profes- sion’s size has doubled in the last 10 years and each year 1,100 lawyers are called to the bar. =. —- 4 speed, radio. 7 _o == i CI —_-~. yo . a ae 1978 SUBARU BRAT 4x4 1980 THUNDERBIRD Loaded with extras. Air, stereo, all. power equipped 1980 FAIRMONT FUTURA 2 door, 6 cyl., stereo, auto, trans, 1979 COUGAR XR7 2door, VB, aulo., stereo. alr cond., loaded with extras. 1880 CAPRI 3 DOOR HATCHBACK écyl., aute. Low mileage 1872 FORD F250 CREWCAB 4x4 V8 4 speed, 6000 Ib. winch. 1974 FORD F250 Camper Special, V8 automatic 1979 MERCURY MARQUIS 2 door, VB auto., alr cond., stereo. Loaded with extras. = —— ——n —~) ee 13.5% ‘We Now Have 13.5% INTEREST RATES AVAILABLE OW SELECTED FORD OF CAMADA CAR LINES, =~ l-- .- —- 4531 Keith Dealer We. S548A | Sales Ltd. 635-4004 Terrace Totem Ford ‘ | eos Tt =<—_- TI =_- =a ad —_o TG — a T_T _ —-