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The Federation of Law Societies of Canada has taken another step to ensure lawyers and Quebec notaries are at the forefront of the fight against money laundering by adopting a model rule on client identification, verification and record keeping.
The new "know-your-client" rule outlines the steps lawyers and Quebec notaries must take, and the records they must keep, to verify a client's identity. These actions will help members of the legal profession determine whether a client is attempting to use them to improperly transfer funds.
All Canadian law societies have undertaken to adopt local rules mirroring the substance of the model rule as soon as possible.
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The Federation of Law Societies of Canada, the representative of the
governing bodies of Canada’s 95,000 lawyers and 3,500 Quebec notaries, has added its
voice to the international outcry over the attack by the Government of Pakistan on the
rule of law.
In a letter to General Pervez Musharraf, President of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan,
the Federation decried the suspension of Pakistan’s constitution, the dismissal of
members of the judiciary, including the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, the
government’s suppression of peaceful protest, and the detention of thousands of
individuals.
“The rule of law and with it an independent judiciary and an independent bar are
cornerstones of democracy. The arrest of hundreds of lawyers, whose duty it is to act as
advocates of the rule of law and the proper administration of justice, and the suspension
of many members of the judiciary is deeply disturbing,” said Michael W. Milani, Q.C.,
President of the Federation.
The Federation encourages the Government of Canada to continue its efforts to
persuade President Musharraf to immediately restore the rule of law, reinstate the
country’s constitution and demonstrate respect for the human rights of the citizens of
Pakistan.
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