Former Alberta Justice Minister Faces Law Society Hearing for Alleged Misconduct

A Court of King's Bench courtroom is shown at the Edmonton Law Courts building on June 28, 2019. (Jason Franson/The Canadian Press)

A former Alberta justice minister and MLA has been accused of professional misconduct by the province’s law society.

In a hearing schedule posted on the website for the Law Society of Alberta (LSA), lawyer Jonathan Denis faces two citations.

The LSA alleges Denis, a King’s Counsel, acted for an individual identified as R.M. while in a conflict of interest.

It also alleged that Denis threatened to make a complaint to a regulatory authority “in an attempt to gain a benefit for his client, C.K.”

In both cases, said the LSA, the conduct is “deserving of sanction.”

A hearing date has not been set for the matters.

Denis served two terms as an MLA in Alberta from 2010 to 2015, and held a cabinet position as minister of justice for the last three years of his service. He lost his seat in the 2015 election and went back to practicing law, founding Guardian Law Group.

His career has experienced a number of high-profile controversies.

In April 2022, Denis told reporters that he had hired a “political fixer.” The self-described fixer, David Wallace, claimed that Denis hired him to get phone records of Alanna Smith, who was formerly a Calgary Herald reporter, presumably to trace the sources of a story.

Wallace alleged the reporter had written a story about Denis’s wedding reception in 2021 and whether the number of guests invited was following COVID public health orders in place at the time.

In 2022, Denis admitted he had a contract with the investigator, but denied trying to get “private phone information.”

“I am sorry if the reporter felt her privacy was being violated, just as I felt she was violating my privacy by trying to find a negative story about the happiest day of my life. Let’s not forget that,” he said.

Wallace said at the time that he did not give Denis truthful information.

“The records are legitimate,” he said. “I just didn’t provide him with the legitimate phone box in terms of the actual calls, times and orders.”

In November 2022, the Court of Appeal overturned a previous conviction against the former justice minister for contempt of court involving witness intimidation.

He was found in contempt of court on April 13, 2022, when he had his lawyer threaten to sue the province’s former chief medical examiner for defamation. At the time, the medical examiner was testifying in court for her lawsuit against the province for wrongful dismissal.

Denis took issue with comments she made, reportedly outside of court to media. She eventually dropped her lawsuit.

Denis did not respond by press time to a request for comment.

The Canadian Press contributed to this report.