Canadian Lawyer

w w w . C A N A D I A N L a w y e r m a g . c o m M A Y 2 0 1 7 9 T he Law Society of Upper Canada has issued an eight-month sus- pension to a Hamilton, Ont. lawyer who admitted to providing heroin to a friend that later died from an overdose. A law society hearing panel suspended Sarah Jackson for conduct "unbecoming a lawyer" when she acquired heroin for Ed Cieslik in 2013. She also admitted she had committed professional misconduct by failing to report a number of criminal charges to the law society that she was facing in 2012 and 2013. She was charged with manslaughter in Cieslik's death in 2013, but she was later acquitted after spending more than a year in custody. "The penalty takes into account that Ms. Jackson spent considerable time in jail before being found not guilty," David Wright wrote on behalf of the panel in Law Society of Upper Canada v. Jackson. "As a result of her time in jail and undertaking she gave while the matter was proceeding through the criminal courts, she has been away from the practice of law for more than three years. Combined with that, the eight-month suspension provides significant general and specific deterrence," wrote Wright. Cieslik was a childhood friend that Jackson had met when she was 13 or 14 years old. The hearing panel's decision said both Jackson and Cieslik had experience with non-prescription drugs. Jackson had used heroin on a regular basis previously, but she had not done so for more than a year at the time Cieslik asked her if she knew where he could get the drug. Cieslik had never tried heroin \ AT L A N T I C \ C E N T R A L \ W E S T REGIONAL WRAP-UP I CAN ONLY CONCLUDE OUT OF RESPECT FOR THE PANEL THAT THERE MUST HAVE BEEN EXTENUATING CIRCUMSTANCES THAT I'M NOT AWARE OF BECAUSE, CERTAINLY IN THE COMMERCIAL AREA, THERE IS HARSHER TREATMENT. HARVIN PITCH, Teplitsky Colson LLP LSUC SUSPENDS LAWYER FOR HELPING FRIEND BUY HEROIN Continued on page 10 Take your skills to the next level with an OsgoodePD Certificate Register today at: osgoodepd.ca/certificates-cl Starting Spring/Summer 2017 Osgoode/SOAR Advanced Certificate in Adjudication Certificate in Contract Management and Administration Osgoode/IPTI Certificate – Writing Expert Reports in Property Valuation Disputes Starting Fall 2017 Osgoode/FCO Certificate - Essentials for Ombuds Certificate in Intellectual Property Licensing Certificate in Provincial Offences Court Practice Certificate in Advanced Procurement Law and Practice Certificate in Construction Law Certificate in Workplace Mental Health Law Certificate in Negotiation Certificate in Advanced Human Resources Law For Senior HR Executives We've gathered top legal and professional experts who, over 4-5 intensive days, will provide an in-depth examination of a specific area of law and intensive skills training. Get clarity on complex issues, learn about best practices, and deepen your knowledge and expertise. ntitled-3 1 2017-04-13 1:59 PM

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