This is a few weeks old but I didn’t see it posted here despite it involving a rare *Anton Pillar* order being granted, and it’s a matter of significant public interest given the players that are alleged to be involved.

Yesterday, the Globe published details of how order execution went down, which seems to reveal that an Alberta lawyer hired these “fixers” on behalf of an unnamed client (but the article notes an apparent link to Sam Mraiche): https://www.theglobeandmail.com/canada/article-ahs-harassment-allegations-david-wallace-bryan-ward/

I’m chiefly interested in the order execution. I’ve never done one. Does this track the experience of others?

> When lawyers descended on Mr. Wallace’s Quebec home in mid-December, armed with the court order, he disclosed that he was “retained by Bryan Ward at Park Law in Alberta to do unspecified work for him,” states a report prepared by the Ottawa law firm that supervised the search. …
> Lawyers with Conway Baxter Wilson, the Ottawa law firm appointed by the court to oversee the execution of the search, said in their report that two court-appointed solicitors, a bailiff and a security firm employee arrived at Mr. Wallace’s home the morning of Dec. 16. …

> After being served with the court papers, Mr. Wallace was asked to put on his dining-room table any devices and documents sought by Mr. Edmonstone, according to the report. Mr. Wallace made references to his retainer with Mr. Ward “several other times throughout the execution process,” the report says. The contents of the report have not been proven in court.
> Mr. Wallace said he needed legal advice and was provided with a cellphone because the court order prohibited him from using his own device, the report states. It also says Mr. Wallace went into a bedroom to speak privately with Mr. Ward.
> Mr. Ward later spoke with the supervising lawyers and confirmed to them that he advised Mr. Wallace to comply with the orders. “At times, Mr. Ward indicated that his firm had retained Wallace and Di Fiore on behalf of a ‘third party’ client,” the report says.
> Around the same time, two other lawyers, a bailiff and two Ontario Provincial Police officers executed the order at Mr. Di Fiore’s home in Ontario. > According to the report, Mr. Di Fiore told the search party that Mr. Ward was one of his lawyers.
> Mr. Di Fiore objected to the search, arguing that it constituted a violation of freedom of the press, and that one of his phones and a laptop shouldn’t be searched because “those devices were provided to him by CSIS,” the report says.
> Eventually, both Mr. Wallace and Mr. Di Fiore handed over their devices, which were returned to them the next day after their contents had been copied.


Anton pillar order granted against political fixers linked to billionaire Sam Mraiche