Lyle Howe: a sad end to a sad case

This column originally appeared in the Halifax Examiner on October 23, 2017. “The Hearing Committee of the NOVA SCOTIA BARRISTERS’ SOCIETY gives notice of the disbarment of Lyle Howe of Halifax, Nova Scotia pursuant to Section 45(4)(a) of the Legal Profession Act, effective October 20, 2017 until further notice.” In the end, the end was no surprise. The […]

Bar Society says Lyle Howe should be disbarred, ordered to pay $500,000

The Nova Scotia Barristers’ Society wants Lyle Howe not only disbarred from practising law for at least five years, but it says he should also have to pay between $450-600,000 of the costs of the disciplinary hearing against him. The society estimates its total cost in the case at $1.1 million — a figure that […]

Who’s going to fix our broken criminal justice system?

This column originally appeared in the Halifax Examiner on July 30, 2017. “The evidence has therefore made it clear to us that it can be unfair to expect that a brass knuckle possession, or breach of recognizance, or theft-under file for a repeat offender currently in custody being dealt with on a legal aid certificate will […]

The Lyle Howe case: guilty, but…

This column originally appeared in the Halifax Examiner July 24, 2017. The CBC headline — “Halifax Lawyer Lyle Howe Found Guilty of Professional Misconduct, Incompetence” — was simple. And it is accurate. So far as it goes. But the actual 140-page decision by a disciplinary panel… IN THE MATTER OF: The Legal Profession Act, S.N.S. 2004, […]

Lyle Howe and the bar society’s Plan B

(This column originally appeared in the Halifax Examiner on April 24, 2017) If you fear you might not succeed on your first try, you should have a Plan B already neatly tucked in your back pocket. In advance. Just in case. That would seem to be the way the Nova Scotia Barristers’ Society is now approaching […]

The Lyle Howe case: ‘If you look hard enough…’

(Originally published in the Halifax Examiner, March 6, 2017.) When I was a young CBC reporter back in the 1970s, I got a tip from a source inside the department of health the RCMP was investigating a Shubenacadie doctor named Ross McInnis for MSI fraud. I didn’t realize it at first, but I would later […]

Who is Lyle Howe? And why are so many people saying such nasty things about him? (Part II)

PART II: The un-making of Lyle Howe “I have gained some valuable wisdom from this matter, and all young men should benefit from the things I have learned without going through what I have gone through. Being innocent isn’t enough. Having legal education and a good lawyer is sometimes not enough.” Lyle Howe Post to […]

Who is Lyle Howe? And why are so many people saying such nasty things about him? (Part I)

PART I: The Making of Lyle Howe “High school taught me what to think. Philosophy taught me how to think. Law school will teach me why all this thinking is necessary.” Lyle Howe Dalhousie University “Discover the Unexpected” marketing campaign 2006 “The Complaints Investigation Committee of the NOVA SCOTIA BARRISTERS’ SOCIETY gives notice that the practising […]