A Saskatoon lawyer handling some federal Indian Day School settlement claims has been suspended amid allegations that he misappropriated funds.
On March 11, the Law Society of Saskatchewan issued an interim suspension against lawyer Dwayne Stonechild.
The notice states that he is not allowed to practice law until further notice.
According to a statement on the Law Society’s website, Stonechild did not comply with court-ordered processes set out by the Federal Court of Canada.
Those processes involve how lawyers are paid their fees through the Federal Indian Day School litigation.
The Law Society says that Stonechild took fees without court authorization, which is a required step in the process.
Although no formal allegations have been proven, the Conduct Investigation Committee of the Law Society says that an inquiry is needed.
The committee believes that allowing Stonechild to continue practising could pose “an immediate risk to the public.”
It is not yet clear how many clients are affected by the suspension.
However, one man from the Prince Albert area, John Brady McDonald, told paNOW that he was only at the inquiry stage and did not lose any money.
“My biggest concern is that my personal information has been collected, and I don’t know where it is or what has happened to it,” said McDonald.
A lawyer from the Hnatyshyn Gough law firm has now been appointed as Trustee over Stonechild’s legal practice.
The trustee is responsible for protecting client information and managing any outstanding legal matters while the suspension remains in place.