January 21, 2014 - 3:39 PM
VANCOUVER - A lawyer from Smithers, B.C., has been disbarred by the Law Society of British Columbia for professional misconduct.
The society says Laurel Elizabeth Hudson submitted numerous false invoices to the Legal Services Society on her behalf, and on the behalf of other lawyers employed at her firm.
The law society says she also billed for lawyers time in order to recover time spent by legal assistants, and the Legal Services doesn't permit billing for work performed by assistants.
The society says Hudson received thousands of dollars that she wasn't entitled to under her contract.
When considering the matter, a society panel concluded the only appropriate punishment was disbarment, because any other sanction would compromise the public confidence in the legal profession.
Hudson has also been ordered to pay hearing costs of $13,860.
News from © The Canadian Press, 2014