As Members of provincial or territorial law societies and officers of the law, lawyers are bound to conduct themselves in a manner consistent with their professional codes of ethics and their work is expected to meet standards commensurate with their education.
Occasionally, persons coming before the Board are represented by non-lawyers. Although non-lawyers are not bound by these codes of ethics and professional standards, the Board is entitled to expect conduct from such individuals that will not impede the Board in adjudicating matters coming before it in a fair and expeditious manner.
The Board expects all representatives to accept the obligations of participating in the hearing process by:
treating the Members and staff of the Board, as well as the other participants in the hearing process, with courtesy and respect;
obtaining a clear written authorization from the person they are representing, signed by the person they are representing;
being well informed of the case and the position of the person they are representing;
being available for conference calls, hearings and other events scheduled by the Board;
complying with any time limits set by the Board, as well as any other directions or orders given by the Board;
fulfilling any undertakings given to the Board or Panel;
refraining from any activity that would undermine the proper administration of justice, such as knowingly presenting false or misleading evidence, or failing to disclose the existence of relevant documents.
Finally, as these standards are necessary in order for the Board to function fairly and efficiently, it should be noted that the Board retains the authority to limit or exclude the participation of non-lawyer representatives where it has formed the opinion that such participation, for example, is likely to hinder, rather than facilitate, the process. (Lawyers who do not comply with their code of ethics may also be excluded from representing clients before the Board.)
