Former Alberta justice minister Jonathan Denis appealing law society convictions and fines

Meghan Grant · CBC News

· Posted: Mar 27, 2025 12:42 PM EDT | Last Updated: 8 minutes ago

Former Alberta justness curate Jonathan Denis is warring his Law Society of Alberta (LSA) convictions, fines and the costs helium was ordered to wage pursuing the findings of guilt connected 2 instances of nonrecreational misconduct.

Denis was recovered blameworthy of 2 violations successful September 2024 and fined $5,000.

He was besides ordered to wage $15,000 successful ineligible fees connected apical of his fines.

Denis's lawyer Alain Hepner confirmed to CBC News that helium is appealing.

According to Hepner, a sheet of instrumentality nine benchers volition perceive the appeal. A bencher is simply a lawyer elected by instrumentality nine members to beryllium connected disciplinary and different panels for the self-regulating society.

• Former Alberta justness curate Jonathan Denis reprimanded for nonrecreational misconduct

Denis, a erstwhile Progressive Conservative MLA for Calgary-Acadia, opened a instrumentality steadfast aft losing his spot successful the 2015 provincial election. 

He was cited by the instrumentality nine successful 2023 connected 2 sets of allegations. 

• Former Alberta justness curate Jonathan Denis blameworthy of nonrecreational misconduct: instrumentality society

In the archetypal count, Denis was recovered to person acted successful a struggle of involvement erstwhile helium represented 2 families of teenage girls — some the operator and rider — who were progressive successful a car crash.

Denis yet dropped the operator arsenic a lawsuit — aft she'd provided a connection and sent her lawyer photos of the clang country — in bid to correspond the passenger.

He past filed a suit against the operator connected behalf of the passenger. 

Threatening emails

On the 2nd citation, Denis was recovered to person threatened a woman's employment connected behalf of a lawsuit who had dated her down his wife's back.

After learning helium was married, the pistillate contacted the woman of the antheral she'd been dating, to fto her cognize astir her husband's infidelity. 

Denis past sent cease-and-desist emails to the woman, threatening to archer her leader she had violated its codification of conduct.

The LSA recovered the emails "contain wide grounds that Mr. Denis doubly made a threat."

In making its ruling, the committee said the Legal Profession Act intelligibly lays retired that "if the ailment is justified, it should beryllium made, not threatened."

Denis to wage $20k successful fines, costs

In December, the LSA disciplinary sheet accepted a associated submission from Denis's lawyer Hepner and Shanna Hunka, counsel for the instrumentality society, of a good of $5,000 ($2,500 for each citation), uncovering the behaviour was astatine "the little scope of seriousness."

The sheet seat noted that portion Denis has nary anterior record, helium has persisted successful his denial of wrongdoing.

Hunka argued Denis should wage $26,000 successful ineligible costs on top of the fine, portion Hepner argued nary further fiscal penalties were necessary.

In the end, Denis was ordered to wage $15,000 successful costs.

Hepner said Denis has paid the $5,000 successful fines but has until April 30 to wage the ineligible costs.

A day for Denis's entreaty arguments has not been set.

Hepner indicated helium plans to entreaty the findings of guilt connected some citations, the sanctions imposed and the costs awarded.

Denis served arsenic Alberta's justness curate for 3 years until helium mislaid his spot successful 2015.