Suspended head of Quebec bar wants evidence of second alleged incident tossed
Posted August 26, 2015 2:53 pm.
Last Updated August 26, 2015 3:40 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
QUEBEC CITY, Que. – A lawyer for the suspended president of the Quebec Bar Association said Wednesday he’ll fight against the release of evidence allegedly tying his client to a second incident at a clothing store.
Lu Chan Khuong was suspended July 1 after it was revealed she had been the subject of a shoplifting complaint in April 2014 at clothing store in Laval, Que., just north of Montreal.
During a hearing last week, the lawyer for the bar, Raymond Doray, said there are documents relating to two witnesses of the alleged April 2014 shoplifting incident and a third witness to a similar event at a second store in Quebec City.
Khuong’s lawyer, Jean-François Bertrand, said Wednesday in a Quebec City courtroom he’ll oppose the release of documents relating to the second alleged incident.
She was never charged for the first alleged shoplifting incident and the matter was dealt with non-judicially at the time.
The board suspended her after her refusal to resign and said her position requires a high level of integrity in order to maintain the public’s trust in the institution.
Khuong is fighting her suspension in court and seeking $95,000 in damages from nine board members who suspended her.
Those members in turn filed a $90,000 lawsuit against Khuong for allegedly damaging their reputation.
Her case is scheduled to be heard on Oct. 5.
Bertrand said the bar’s evidence “(is) not pertinent to the debate,” and added it is part of a plan to “lynch” his client.
The judge’s decision about whether or not to accept the evidence was adjourned to a later date.
During a meeting of the Quebec Bar Association on Monday, about 69 per cent of the 1,000 lawyers present voted in favour of her reinstatement.
Khuong was elected last May with more than 60 per cent of the vote.
