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Winnipeg Free Press: ‘Awkward to have a foot in both worlds’ Loyalty, potential conflicts called key issues when government backbencher is defence lawyer

September 20, 2024 —

There are risks associated with having a criminal defence lawyer on the government backbenches, says a law professor who co-authored a paper triggered by Fort Garry MLA Mark Wasyliw’s situation.

“He was definitely the inspiration for this,” said Brandon Trask, an assistant law professor at the University of Manitoba. His peer-reviewed “Role Call: Can a Backbench Legislator Practice as a Criminal Defence Lawyer? A Legal Ethics Analysis” appeared in the Manitoba Law Journal online before the NDP announced Monday it was dumping Wasyliw from its caucus.

Trask said NDP caucus chair Mike Moyes’ statement that day explaining that the lawyer was getting the boot because of his association with the lawyer for convicted sex offender Peter Nygard is “problematic” and “unfortunate.”

To read the full story, please visit the Winnipeg Free Press.

criminal law, Manitoba government, NDP government, Peter Nygard

Faculty of Law publishes Alumni Magazine 2024 for Homecoming

The University of Manitoba’s Faculty of Law has published its annual Alumni Magazine in time for Homecoming 2024. Covering news of interest to Law Alumni, the magazine includes news about alumni achievements, developments in the law school’s JD and graduate programs, and recognition of the community that helps fuel the Faculty in its mission to educate the next generation of legal professionals.