EDMONTON — Alberta Prosperity Project legal counsel Jeffrey Rath is facing an additional trio of citations from the Law Society of Alberta, including abusive or offensive communication with a client or fellow lawyer, and initiating legal proceedings motivated by malice or an intent to injure the opposing party. The LSA citations were reportedly issued to Rath on May 12 and date back to a complaint filed in 2023. The initial allegation states that Rath communicated with a client and another lawyer in an abusive, offensive, or otherwise unprofessional manner.Additionally, the LSA claims that he abused the tribunal process by initiating proceedings clearly driven by malice or intended to harm the other party. Finally, Rath is accused of failing to cooperate with a former client’s new lawyer in the transfer of the file. ."I don’t comment on pending Law Society Matters," wrote Rath in a statement to the Western Standard. “I would note that the last two citations involving allegations against me were dismissed. In fact, some of the allegations relate to a matter where I was advised to take action by a very senior lawyer who was a former President of the Law Society. “I will be responding to the unproven allegations through my legal counsel in due course.” He faced citations in three prior instances, including a January hearing on a trio of allegations: threatening criminal allegations to benefit a client, improper communication with another lawyer's client, and communicating in an unprofessional tone. The committee that oversaw the January hearing has yet to rule on the allegations. .Rath, a leading independence advocate, has represented APP, Stay Free Alberta, and their CEO Mitch Sylvestre on numerous legal actions related to the movement. He most recently represented Sylvestre in a judicial review case that culminated in Justice Shaina Leonard quashing the Chief Electoral Officer's decision to grant Sylvestre an Alberta independence petition after his original one was quashed in December. Leonard determined that, among other things, the Government of Alberta failed to fulfill its duty to consult First Nations groups prior to an action that could have violated Treaty rights, and the CEO misinterpreted elements of Bill 14 by failing to take into account previous court rulings. Rath has filed an appeal of Leonard's decision and applied for a stay order to allow Stay Free Alberta's petition to move forward until their case can be heard and ruled on.
