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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

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