For lawyers (and everyone else) Integrity is easy – Courage is the hard part.

There will always be some lawyers and even a few judges who embrace greed, ignore the Rule of Law and engage in corrupt acts in support of powerful clients and cabals.

It is a part of the human experience that some individuals yield to temptation and forsake what is right and lawful.

The real danger though, is when the legal profession and its regulators turn a blind eye to lawyers and judges who choose to become “servants in the architecture of corruption.”

When this happens, corruption thrives and the Rule of Law soon withers away.

As shown in the circumstances of my case, Canadians deserve much better from the Law Society of Ontario, the legal profession and the courts. The Law Society of Ontario, the Ontario legal profession and the Canadian Judicial Council obviously fear transparency and accountability.

In this, Ontario lawyers and judges are little different than the policing organizations of 30 years ago who assured Canadians that they were capable of self-oversight with the public trust foremost in their agenda.

That was an absurdity and so the citizens of Ontario through their government established the Special Investigations Unit (‘SIU’) to take civiliian oversight of serious incidents involving police.

Why should the legal profession be allowed to investigate itself? There must be independent civilian oversight of investigations into wrongdoing by lawyers.

After almost 40 years spent interacting with ordinary people, the police, the legal profession and the courts in one way or another, I truly believe that most people are good at their core.

Really evil people are a minority in our society, and, I firmly believe, are a minority in any society.

Most people have integrity. They know in their heart – they feel in their heart – what is right and wrong and they try to do the correct thing; but… only when integrity is an easy choice.

Having courage is to act rightly despite your fears. 

Courage is where most good people fail the test.

To do what is right when the pressure is on, when your employer or a powerful group wants you to compromise or ignore what you know is right, takes more than integrity. It takes courage.

Most of us do not have that kind of courage. That is a hard truth and one of the reasons why groups of corrupt people can sway societal systems and exert influence totally out of proportion to their numbers and actual strength.

Yet, sometimes all it takes is one courageous person to stand firm and declare that they will not do this or that for their employer. They will not deliver false evidence or ignore the truth in the face of powerful government officials.

But such decisions carry a price.

Sometimes the price of integrity is relatively modest: Professor John Knox of the University of the West Indies at Cave Hill in Barbados was warned to stop testifying in a certain court case or he would be fired. Professor Knox testified and soon found himself unemployed – fired from the University. Then he was abducted from the family home at gunpoint and beaten severely… but at least he still lives.

Sometimes the price of integrity is high: Russian lawyer Sergei Magnitsky refused to ‘confess’ to crimes and to falsely implicate others. For his defiance, corrupt police imprisoned him and then beat him to death in his solitary confinement jail cell. As corrupt as the murderous police were, they were only the instruments of a larger corrupt cabal that extended high into the Russian government.

And lest my readers receive the impression that serious corruption only happens ‘over there’, I clearly state that in Canada and in the United States, just like everywhere else, integrity is sometimes rewarded – but most often is punished when ruling groups are exposed or threatened.

Integrity is easy. Courage is the hard part.

28 comments

  • Blackmail also under legal context denotes the forcing or threatening or compelling of one to act against his or own will. That is quite interesting.

    Let’s see the opposing lawyers threatened to sue Slansky to stop his legal maneuvers . Legal maneuvers that define lawyers and their profession. Does that sound reasonable to everyday folk reading the evidence and case.

    WOW!!!!!!

  • The meaning of extortion and blackmail

    Did I read correctly that the opposing lawyers involved threatened Slansky on numerous times that they would sue him personally for legal maneuvers which apparently comes with the territory of being a lawyer.

    So in other words the lawyers were blackmailing Slansky to shut up with threats and then the Superior Court Judge played along with this blackmail scenario by calling Best lawsuits frivolous and vexacious and the worst she has ever seen but she didn’t listen to the evidence. She never listened to the tapes the world has listened to. The tapes I have listened to.

    Then she orders $84000 in costs against Slanskey and then there was an extra $30000 for the failed appeal. Are those costs construed as extortion to stop further proceedings by a judicial maffia bent on covering up corruption at all costs.

    Very important questions to ask in light of such blatant cover up of crimes.

  • You need more identification to get a library card then to register a corporation. What a joke. The loopholes are made just for money launder crooks.

    Canada has become a pawn for money laundering. So says a global news report.

    Well then Global news. Lets stick to the story. Lets connect the dots. Lets find the solution. Lets hold the crooked accountable. Lets keep the story alive. Lets print the Best story on the front page of the newspapers. Lets do a news story with Donald Best. Lets pressure your MP and MPP to do their jobs and ask tough questions.

  • It seems public social media expose is working. Jane L. whose father was murdered and he was apparently money laundering she has forced a reopening of her fathers murder along with a retired cop. Ms. Jane. L. was visited by Halton police in August.

    Way to go Paul Manning and Donald Best you have opened the eyes of the public. You helped Jane L to get her fathers death reopened.

    The question is.. If Jane L. smelled death in her fathers car after his death was ruled suicide and she got the car what does that say for the police when Jane L. went to them with her suspicions.
    Just as the car reeked of a dead body smell so does the cover up by RCMP.

    RCMP acting like the judges in Best case.

    Incredible story to unfold. Perfect story to show the need to push for proper investigations.

  • The Judge who made Mr. Slansky pay costs for representing Donald Best in a frivolous lawsuit called the lawsuit baseless.

    Excuse me but this Judge did not hear the tapes so how can you cal it baseless and make a judgment without listening to evidence. This is abuse of court process

    I hope police look at all evidence before charging individuals. That would create horror for everyone if they just charge without investigating tbe evidence.

    But the actions of all judges here is a horror story for citizens.

    This Judge is horrible in my opinion. Lets protect the boys club at all costs. Because no one will do anything. We will put innocent people in jail but who cares. As long as we can win at all costs. Perhaps cover up for money laundering . Again we can. We just laugh as we count the dough and put it under our mattress. Who cares if we money launder drug proceeds. As long as it doesnt affect our lives. Why do we care.

  • Disgraced cowards of Ontario

    I was reading the Court transcript of Dec. 2 2009 and the Court obviously Shaughnessey stated he received the letters from Donald Best and heres the shocker…..coming from a Judges mouth who ended finding Donald Best criminally in contempt of court and having him incarcerated… The court states he barely glanced at Bests documents… Really Rogue.Coward Shaughnessey. …you barely read it…now that is flagrant abuse of the court process isnt it…thats abuse of Donald Bests rights isnt it.. Stupid retards of the Ontario Courts and Federal. What an abuse of court process. Your all scumbags. Criminal conspirators in cover up and your a disgrace to society. To the Canadian public.

  • Reading the evidence

    Just reading the evidence namely the cross examination with Hatch and Ranking and its rather hillarious. Mr. MacKenzie asks the right questions and Ranking tries to deceive and when caught Ranking states the line of questioning is irrelevant. Nope. Actually very relevant as it catches perjury…affidavits that are false. .

    No wonder someone attacks MacKenzie. He caught them lying. Lies covered up by the Ontario Superior Court.

    Here is the big lie… They state in 2007 that the letterhead of Price Waterhouse Coopers is fine and doesnt need to have the legal company name which is Price Waterhouse Coopers East Caribbean Firm…but the standards of accounting says they do. Then the lawsuit using only Price Waters Coopers as the name is correct at the time of making the lawsuit as thats the name Hatch says they use and always use. Therefore Hatch confirmed the name. Then Ranking as lawyer pulls a stunt to use PWC East Caribbean Firm as the legal name to avoid the lawsuit. But once again their caught in court documents as they use PWC East Caribbean without Firm in the title name. Back and forth they forget their lies. All to avoid the lawsuit..

    Our Ontario and Canadian Court Court isnt any better. They either dont read the documents properly to catch the lies and then make judgments carelessley and stupidly based on not reading the docunents competently or they plain cover up the lies of the cabal of high priced Bay Street lawyers.

    Which one is it because both are just as bad. Neither way restores faith in our judicial system but is a mockery of it.

  • I thought I would point out the obvious contradictions of these lawyers and they cant keep their stories straight in the Court Record where they lied to the Court. Ms. Rubin said that her notes show that Best stated he never got the documents and. thats true ..Best after talking to the court the day before found out about the meeting and sent a letter to the court then called that morning. Ranking puts words into the mouth of Ms. Rubin and bullies here. I found 2 places he bullies. His stupidity shines forth when he states…that Mr. Best called in at 10. Thats right Donald Best did because he was prepared to be cross examined after speaking to the court the day before. A fact that Best said on the voice recording. Ranking clearly deceived the court on purpose. Court records are under oath and are pretty much the same as affidavits. So for all intents and purposes for the court of public opinion we refer to them as affidavits. Thus Ranking deceived the Court and submitted a fabricated affidavit. Malicious intent to deceive . Silver no better. All liars and deceivers under court oath. People who lie on a regular basis have no conscience and this is evident in what they say that Best’s letter to the court was defamatory when in fact they were the malicious ones lying under oath to mislead and get a contempt of court against Best. What arrogant weasels.

    Yea Donald Best cant get justice against these lying scumbags because he cant pay the exorbitant court costs. However we can over and over again call these lawyers what they are…parasites … We can keep pushing the cops to do their jobs..we can give people the courage to come forward to out the lawyers…and judge…and cop. We can demand accountability…we can push for the CRA to investigate a phony account and possible money laundering. At least these lawyers have no dignity and respect from the public. Their friends probably laugh at them behind their backs. So if thry dont get prison they get public humiliation.

    • Yes its true. The lawyer admits that Best called at 10. Lets see if you call the Court offices then call the lawyers where the meeting was being held that morning and asked for cross examination over the phone that can’t be construed as contempt of court can it. The lawyers refused the request. The judge was given a letter from Best and the Judge refused to allow Tele conferencibg either. That’s because he Judge barely read Best stuff sent to him.
      The lawyers insult our intelligence. They state they can’t. Cross examine by phone but they can so they should have arranged one the next day or two. Again false contempt of court charge brought by judicial misconduct.

  • Lisbeth Edwinngreens

    Is a lawyer of honesty and integrity if they have an ROE that clearly shows evidence of corruption on the part of the employer yet does nothing. Actually decides to protect the employer as it’s embarrassing to the one that pays the Bill for services rendered.

    What if that lawyer steals the personal information and then pays a crooked cop to check the person out in order to cover up corruption. That’s a criminal act isn’t it. Nothing much happened because of it. But that doesn’t let the crooked criminal act off.

    What if a lawfirm engages the services of organized crime to cover up corruption.

    What if the law firm accessed government accounts. Criminal act of course using the ROE personal info. Or perhaps their paid hired hand or hackers.

  • According to UNICEF 50% of Canadian children between 13 and 15 have been bullied or have had some form of violence done to them.

    I guess the adults are not setting a good example in our justice system or law enforcement. They are just following the bullying examples of these lying lawyers and judges and cops who face no accountability here at Donald Best.ca.

  • Penalyzibg Whistleblowers is criminal

    Your twitter post regarding the protecion of whistle blowers helps to show that many government workers lack honesty and integrity. The EI whistleblower Sylvie Therrien who blew the whistle on the EI system looking for loopholes to disqualify EI recipients or plain deny tgem is a blatant case of corruption and dishonesty . An EI recipient is entitled to certain amount of weeks. Based on hours. Plain and simple. What is disturbing is the use of loopholes to disqualify. There are no loopholes either. Since each fraud investigator was to save $480000 and since onky 3% of people have engaged in fraud then $485000 would be a very difficult quota to reach. In fact impossible. Therefore the senior govetnment employees were asking those under them to commit fraud. Very serious.

  • Organized Crime Slime

    Canada has 92 tax treaties and. 23 TIEAs that allow rich corporations to pay little tax… One company Gliden which does sports apparel made over 1.3 billion over 5 years and paid 37.5 million in taxes thanks to bring parked in Barbados. Another company Valiant that was American based who did a takeover of Biovail in Quebec is now under investigation of allegations of fraud and price gougibg and its stock has taken a nose dive. But at one time it surpassed the royal bank as Canada’s most valuable company. Now they are under investigation. Biovail enjoyed Barbados tax haven too.

    Wow is it possible that organized crime is behind our government ignoring the Auditor Generals and making these tax treaties where it appears money laundering is occurring? Are our government politicians enjoying the fringe benefits of being in bed with organized crime. Valid questions based on the facts.

    • The Canada Revenue Agency audits individuals and businesses tax returns for errors and fraudulent expenses. Why is the Auditor General over the course of many years many different government leaders ignored then when they expose the error and crooked ways of the hovernment? That is a tough question and when it has gone unanswered and the government decided to go on a witch hunt and charge Mike Duffy with ridiculous charges and the Judge ruled against the government and put the blame right back at the government where it actually belonged then what does that indicate.

      If you read the article of that cold Dec.day in the House of Commons in 1980 there was hardly anyone there. Where was everyone. Probably disappeared to the Carribbean before Christmas. It was a systematic abuse way back then too. Coukd not single out one person as the scapegoat but have to change the system.

      But they do what they want until they are pushed in the corner. Even then they refuse. When this occurs then it can be asked. Who is pulling the strings. Who is controlling the corrupt. Who is enjoying the benefits.

      Until the government is taken to task and their illegal unjust actions are held accountable and changed and whistle blowers like Sylvie are given their jobs back and this stops then the government is crooked. Until lobbyists are put in their place and some charged for illegal tactics and bullying then the country and citizens will suffer. The questions will continue to fly exposing an organized crime link. Untll the police and lawyers stop beng allowed to self regulate we will continue to see criminal acts go unpunished. Systematic abuses destroying justice for everyone. The human rights and dignities of citizens trampled on that eventually ruins the economy. Perhaps the government should make sure there is enough stable jobs in the country then we wouldn’t have so many unemployed and then the government does not need to look for illegal loopholes. Perhaps if big corporations paid their fair share and stworrying about the shareholders getting rich it would help the economy. The government shoukd be interested first and foremost in creating jobs. Not aiding the rich to become richer.

  • Money Laundering

    An online drug company in Winnipeg has been indicted in the USA for shipping counterfeit drugs to the USA and for money laundering. And this company has affiliates in Barbados and the UK as well.

    The USA was seeking extradition but its possible the trial could be in Canada. Please no trial in Canada. These guys will walk free in Canada or get a slap on the wrist. 78 million in counterfeit drugs and money laundering. The trail continues to link to Barbados and money laundering.

  • Paradise in Barbados

    On a cold morning in Dec. 1980 a young Bob Rae NDP critic at the time. Protested the legislation that would provide a tax treaty with the island of Barbados. He stated this piece of legislation had not be carefully studied and it would put undue tax burden on the tax paying citizen as the rich corporations legally avoided their fair share of taxes.

    What does Bob Rae think now as he is a Liberal friends with Prime Minister Trudeau working in the Liberal government while Trudeau is friends with Seagram owner who I believe enjoys these tax shelters. I would hope he hasn’t changed his feelings .

    Now more then ever the tax paying Canadian is tax burdened as Seagrams was allowed to take out 250 million in tax free money. Loblaws and Petro Canada enjoy Barbados tax shelter as Canadians pay tax dollars on every litre of gas at the pumps.

    Perhaps Bob Rae would like to answer this question in McLeans Magazine.

  • A lawyer Mitchell Finklestein was charged under the OSC with insider trading with respect to giving a tip to his friend at the CIBC. He was ordered to pay over $800000 in restitution. He lost his appeal as well.

    The question is…was Mr. FINKLESTEIN DISBARRED?

    The OSC could not level jail time as it was a commission hearing. Hmm. It’s alleged that when Mr. FINKLESTEIN gave inside trade tips he then received cash. Cash found in his home later. Of course he gave his own version of where the money came from. He sold lemonade on his street of course.

    Anyone know if this corrupt lawyer was disbarred or is practicing somewhere else.

  • I agree with this article 100% Spent 2 and a half years under house arrest with several local lawyers busted on fraud regarding family estate. Was arrested 3 days before I could get evidence into justice of peace which obstructed me from justice. The arresting officer was the fraud investigator from Windsor police who had evidence of fraud for over a year and knew what the lawyers were doing but refused to lay charges or issue court orders to find assets. He is also a city councilman in LaSalle a small town just outside Windsor where I live. There has been maybe 20 lawyers involved the last 5 and a half years all keeping me obstructed from my own family accounts as an executor to the estate so it is no coincidence we could found approximately $300000.00 of the missing $400000.00 from family assets. Still more missing! It is impossible to finish an estate or provide Revenue Cananda with an accurate set of assets when the Law Society and their Union members (the lawyers) obstruct families from their own accounts! This is ridiculous and has completely destroyed our good family with no end in site. Our to young daughters never seen a nickel from 30 years work and me and my wife had to remortgage property 3 times to help with this financial abuse to simply try and view our own accounts. Mrs Abrecht, a 17 year investigator for the LSUC seen no reason to investigate wasted 2 years of our time and left us unable to finish the estate! Has the Law Society of Upper Canada become a crime syndicate? We need help!!!!

  • Your Twitter post on artificial manipulation is totally right. This has been going on for a long time. Already knew this could be done and evidence tampered with so it requires thorough investigation just like tapes therefore one expert witness is not enough when verifying the authenticity. But honest people never need to fear tampered tapes. It’s a great way to catch crooked criminals at their game.

  • I love your pictures that come with your posts Donald. Very comical and so true. Very upsetting to read how FBI refused to pursue crooked judges and state employees with such lame excuses and those law enforcement are part of the problem not the solution and therefore should have their badges removed.

    Crooked Judges lawyers cops state employees are more of a threat to the general population than petty criminals. Many petty criminals can be helped with guidance and loving concern whereas these crooked individuals known as judges cops lawyers etc are in it for money and power and see no need to change or are not forced to change because of those who aid and abett them either by inaction or lack of courage and integrity or because they make money off it too.

    In your case Donald all the corrupt people involved have been given plenty of opportunity to change after worldwide exposure and they have not indicating they are rotten to the core but those who aid and abett them are just as guilty by their inaction. Take for instance those in the federal court downloading your website evidence. Have those with knowledge gone to the police? Have they pushed for proper investigations. Have they come forward if they have been bullied to be quiet or change legal cocuments. The questions are endless the repercussions on society of these power and money hungry people are enormous.

  • Sam and where is good at heart RCMP

    Mr. Knox was severely beaten after being abducted at gunpoint. That means that someone was stepping on the toes of crooked people and it wasnt people with good hearts doing the abduction and beating.

    Was this your case Mr. Best as I think we are seeing organized crime link in Barbados flowing o Canada and back.

  • Bravo Donald for hitting the nail on the head. MOST PEOPLE ARE GOOD AT HEART BUT NEED more courage because it’s the crooked who make life difficult for all good prople. We hope good people after reading all posts will step up to the plate with courage to expose the crooked. NO LAWYER IS TOO BIG TO GO TO JAIL..,it’s good people who will help to make them pay the penalty for corruption.

  • Once again Donald well written and right to the point. Your blog will give good people at heart the courage to stop corruption. Each and every good person is needed to stop the crooked who make life challenging .

  • Very well said Donald.

    I don’t claim to be a courageous person myself. I’ll take this opportunity to relate an experience that was a lesson for me that I periodically recall.

    During the ’80’s I was having a challenging time pursuing a career in information technology. In 1988 I moved across the country – from Toronto to Vancouver – and just before leaving Toronto secured a (technical sales-support) position with the Vancouver office of Computer Associates International, that served corporate clients.

    I had that job for only about two years, and in hindsight it’s probably good that it didn’t last. The firm’s strategy included a string of hostile takeovers of competitors and then strong-arming their clients regarding what software packages they used and the annual maintenance fees.

    I and my associates travelled a lot more than made sense to me. On one of several trips to Dallas a number of us with positions similar to mine had a meeting – about certain concerns we had – with a senior person named Sanjay Kumar. My recollection is that he presented as personable and very intelligent. But long after I left the company he ended up paying a price for it’s corporate culture. Have a look at his Wikipedia entry:

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sanjay_Kumar_(business_executive)

    That’s a small part of the Computer Associates story.

  • You are all invited to a hearing at the Court of Appeal on September 05, 2018 @ 10:00 am.
    Bouragba v. Judicial Corruption
    You will hear about the price which was paid by Bouragba and his minor son who lost his education due to official government conspiracy.

  • As three FBI agents said to me almost verbatim over a few years when they were approached and presented by me with definitive evidence of multiple count felonious political corruption involving several judges, prosecutors, court officials, and state workers, what they said was: “They are all doing the same thing. If we prosecuted them, we would have to prosecute them all across the country.”

    Its all about the money! Massive money brought in and generated daily. The public is masterfully entertained into distraction as the beat goes on within government, a government that is now structured as a for profit entity of no equal at your and your family’s expense and in many a case, harm.

    Scope and size of it all, it appears the public has been intentionally masterfully entertained and distracted so that they would never have a cognitive thought as to the scope and size that our collective government has and is growing into.

    Let’s pull back the wizards curtain and see clearly, and probably for the first time, the scope and size of it all. The Federal Reserve annually puts out what they call their Z.1. report. A report that in its raw data tables consolidates the wealth held by all Local and Federal Government entities. It additionally shows the wealth held by the private sector, Banks, Brokerage, and Insurance Companies. You will not find a more complete showing of consolidated totals anywhere else.

    EXAMPLES: Local and Federal Pension funds consolidated totals; 16 trillion dollars +; government investment in the private sector debt AND government’s own debt (using their own investment capital) 30 trillion dollars +.

    Here is the link to a short one page article that has the links to the Z.1. report – http://CAFR1.com/TotalWealth.html

    And as a quote from the past says, that is 100% relevant even more so today:

    TREASON: “Treason doth never prosper; what’s the reason? For if it prosper, none dare call it treason.” Sir John Harrington, 1561-1612

  • Donald Best: always the Best.