Awareness of the illegal practice of law
Awareness campaign
The Montreal Bar’s mission is to protect Montrealers while supporting its members (lawyers) in the performance of their duties. We are the only section of the Quebec Bar that has retained the authority to take action against the illegal practice of law. The Quebec Bar has the authority to do so for the other sections outside of Montreal.
The illegal practice of law can seriously affect a victim’s life and undermines the professional integrity and credibility of the entire legal community.
Why an awareness campaign?
The number of cases brought to the attention of the Montreal Bar involving immigration law has greatly increased since 2018. In 2022 they represented close to 40% of all the complaints we received. In 2022 they represented close to 40% of all the complaints we received.
Montreal has the distinction of welcoming a large number of immigrants from many communities around the world. This unique aspect compared to the rest of Quebec as well as the size of the city allow fake lawyers to often go unnoticed.
Actions taken
Based on these observations, we want to raise awareness and inform and equip potential victims of these practices so they will turn to people who are qualified and have the skills to guide them through the immigration process.
Montreal Bar initiatives:
- The “MÉFIEZ-VOUS !” campaign
- The dedicated website “fauxavocat.ca”
- Helpful bookmarks and posters translated into several languages
- Video clips
- Simplified form for filing a complaint and reporting the illegal practice of law
- Information sessions working closely with community organizations that are in contact with the different immigrant communities
- Media campaigns through social media, newspaper and radio
