Advertisement

Toilet paper not the ‘write stuff’ for legal document

Prince Albert, Sask. lawyer fined for writing residential school retainer agreement on toilet paper. Carl De Souza / AFP/Getty Images

PRINCE ALBERT, Sask. – Toilet paper is normally used for cleaning up messes, but for one Prince Albert, Sask. lawyer it created one.

Ron Cherkewich was reprimanded by the Law Society of Saskatchewan for writing a retainer agreement on toilet paper for a client during a 2011 residential schools claim.

Tim Huber, legal counsel for the law society, said it is not something seen every day.

For news impacting Canada and around the world, sign up for breaking news alerts delivered directly to you when they happen.

Get breaking National news

For news impacting Canada and around the world, sign up for breaking news alerts delivered directly to you when they happen.
By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy.

“There have been cases, nationally, where lawyers have acted in a disrespectful way towards court officials or judges or fellow members, and they’ve been disciplined for that, but I’ve never seen anything exactly like this,” said Huber.

Cherkewich, who has practiced law for 44 years with no prior disciplinary record, said he used the best tissue on the market in a moment of silliness.

Story continues below advertisement

“I dealt with the silliness with further silliness,” said Cherkewich.

“I can’t disagree with them, though the toilet paper was clean and it was, of course, the best kind of tissue on the market.”

A complaint to the law society led to the hearing. Cherkewich was fined $500 order to pay $10,000 in court costs.

Sponsored content

AdChoices