The Law Society of B.C. has ordered that former Kimberley lawyer Sandra Smaill be disbarred for professional misconduct.
According to a news release from the Law Society, a hearing panel found that Smaill committed professional misconduct by misappropriating or improperly withdrawing trust funds on multiple occasions, failing to deposit retainers into her pooled trust account for two clients, failing to maintain accounting records, failing to remit GST funds and employee payroll sources deductions to the Canada Revenue Agency and repeatedly failing to respond to Law Society communications during the investigation.
“In determining the disciplinary penalty, the panel considered the numerous and serious instances of misconduct, Smaill’s refusal to acknowledge responsibility or her misconduct or participate in the regulatory process, as well as her prior disciplinary record which included two conduct reviews. Smaill’s disbarment takes effect immediately, although at time of the order she was a former lawyer and no longer practising law,” the release says.
Ms. Smaill has served as a school board trustee for more than 30 years and is still on the board.
She has not practiced law since she was suspended in 2018.