Former Alberta justice minister Jonathan Denis 'attempted to influence' witness testimony, law society alleges
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Former Alberta justice minister Jonathan Denis is facing two new allegations of professional misconduct in connection with a "threatening" letter sent on his behalf to a plaintiff who was in the middle of testifying.
The latest allegations come just one day after CBC News reported that Denis is appealing two previous Law Society of Alberta citations and fines.
When asked how Denis is feeling about the latest development, his lawyer Alain Hepner said he's "not great for a number of reasons but we're dealing with it."
The new citations are connected to a lawsuit filed by Alberta's former chief medical examiner Anny Sauvageau who sued the province and was mid-testimony in an Edmonton courtroom in 2022 when she received a letter sent on Denis' behalf, threatening defamation action.
Denis was initially found guilty of contempt of court over the letter but that was ultimately overturned by the Alberta Court of Appeal which found the judge presiding over the hearing had made procedural errors.
The first law society citation is connected to the allegation that Denis "attempted to influence the evidence of a witness at trial by threatening a defamation action."
The second citation alleges Denis "failed to act honourably and with integrity by using a junior associate to send a threatening letter on his behalf."
The letter at the centre of the conduct allegations was sent on Denis' behalf by Kyle Shewchuk, a lawyer at Denis's Calgary-based Guardian Law firm who'd been practising for just eight months at the time.
Sauvageau's three-year contract was not renewed when it expired in 2014. She filed a $7.6 million wrongful dismissal lawsuit against the Alberta government.
Denis was justice minister when Sauvageau's contract was not renewed.
That lawsuit had made its way to court and, in April 2022, Sauvageau was mid-testimony when her lawyer received a letter, sent by a junior lawyer at Denis' firm on his behalf.
'We have been closely watching'
It accused Sauvageau of engaging "in a seven-year campaign of defamation and harassment" against Denis and went on to say, "We have been closely watching Dr. Sauvageau's current trial and are aware that … Dr. Sauvageau's defamation of Mr. Denis has continued unabated."
"Mr. Denis is a respected and renowned lawyer and business person and will not tolerate these tortious actions against him. These actions must forthwith cease and we reserve the right to refer to this correspondence should Dr. Sauvageau's defamation continue."
At the time, Denis's lawyer insisted that the letter was not meant to impact Sauvageau's ongoing testimony and was written out of concern that she was speaking with media outside of court.
While the trial judge found that the letter had a chilling effect on Sauvageau and ruled Denis was in contempt, the court of appeal ruled that once cited in contempt, the case should then have been handed over to another judge for a full hearing.
Denis' contempt conviction was overturned.
Months later, in September 2022, Sauvageau abandoned her lawsuit.
Other law society citations
In 2023, Denis was cited by the law society on two sets of allegations involving a conflict of interest and a threat made to a woman's employment.
Denis was convicted and fined $5,000 in late 2024. He has also been ordered to pay $15,000 in costs.
CBC News reported Thursday that Denis is appealing his convictions, fines and legal costs.
A date for his latest law society hearing has not been set.
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