Discipline Decision – 1994

http://www.canlii.org/en/nl/nlls/doc/1994/1994canlii4207/1994canlii4207.html

Summary

It was alleged that Peter Strong was guilty of professional misconduct and/or conduct unbecoming a member of the Law Society in that over a period of 12 years he had stolen monies from clients by various means and while acting as trustee defrauded clients of monies and property and converted the funds, amounting to over $300,000.00 to his own use. Evidence was led at the hearing before the Panel of the Discipline Committee that the lawyer had been convicted of several criminal offences, all involving monies of another. The lawyer had been sentenced to 4 years on one charge and 1 year to be served concurrently with the 4 year sentence for 6 other offences. The Panel recommended that he be found guilty of professional misconduct and conduct unbecoming. Benchers accepted the recommendation of the Panel that Strong was guilty of professional misconduct. Benchers decided that he would be disbarred and be required to repay any amount that the Law Society had to pay out of its defalcation fund with which it had to reimburse clients from whom he had misappropriated funds. Benchers also ordered Strong to pay the Law Society’s costs of the investigation and hearing.