Drug trafficking

Lawyer convicted of smuggling meth into remand disbarred

The Law Society of Alberta issued a notice Wednesday that criminal defence lawyer Justin Sidhu has been disbarred by an order of the Legal Profession Act. 

Sidhu, who lived and practised law in Edmonton, has been an “inactive member” of the society since he was charged with trafficking a controlled substance in 2013, according to the society. Following a 2015 trial, he was sentenced to four years in prison for using greeting cards to smuggle $6,000 worth of methamphetamines to a client being held in jail.

He unsuccessfully appealed his conviction in 2016.

Court heard that security footage from Sept. 19, 2013, showed Sidhu walking into the institution carrying a large envelope with his client’s name on the front. Correctional officers later found a birthday card and a Christmas card in the envelope containing six grams of methamphetamines.

Confidential lawyer-client materials are not subject to rigorous searches, but court heard the drugs were discovered after Sidhu met with his client. A correctional officer took the envelope when he saw rolling papers fall from it.