
03/09/2025
Upholding the Pillars: Why the Carpay Disbarment is a Victory for Conservative Principles âď¸
Friends, a story out of Alberta today seems to be generating more of the usual heat and noise. Yesterday, Law Society of Alberta released notice of their decision to disbar lawyer John Carpay. The immediate reaction in certain circles will be predictable: outrage, claims of political persecution, and the framing of Mr. Carpay as a martyr for a cause.
But before we get swept up in that narrative, letâs pause. Letâs take a breath. And letâs examine this not through the lens of partisan warfare, but through the timeless, foundational principles of conservatism: respect for the rule of law, the sanctity of our institutions, and the indispensable role of an independent judiciary.
The details, as laid out by the Law Society and previously reported, are not a matter of partisan debate. They are a matter of fact. Mr. Carpay, president of the Justice Centre for Constitutional Freedoms, admitted to hiring a private investigator to surveil and follow the Chief Justice of Manitoba and a fellow judge of the Court of Queenâs Bench during a period of intense litigation over pandemic public health orders.
Let that sink in. A lawyer, an officer of the court, orchestrated the stalking of a sitting judge presiding over his own cases.
This is not âactivism.â This is not robust advocacy. This is an assault on the very bedrock of our constitutional order.
Our system (the one bequeathed to us by generations of statesmen who understood the dangers of concentrated power) is built on a simple, brilliant balance. Our Constitution and Charter exist to limit the power of the government. They are the ultimate shield of the citizen against the overreach of the state. And who is the guardian of that shield? The independent judiciary.
The judges are not âactivistsâ or âenemiesâ when they issue a ruling we disagree with. They are the neutral referees tasked with a solemn duty of interpreting those foundational documents to ensure our governance is, (as the Constitution Act itself states) conducted in the interests of âpeace, order, and good government.â
When a lawyer, of all people, decides to target a referee because he doesnât like the calls being made, he doesnât weaken the government. He weakens the referee. He weakens the institution designed to protect all of us from government excess. He replaces the rule of law with the rule of intimidation.
True conservatism understands that institutions matter. Procedures matter. Respect for the roles people play within our system matters. We do not burn down the temple of justice because we dislike a single verdict. We engage, we argue, we appeal, and we respect the process. We conserve the system that has provided us with stability and freedom for over 150 years.
The Law Society (and any governing body for any profession for that matter), is not tasked with punishing political views. Rather, they have a critical duty to protect the public and maintain the integrity of the legal profession. In disbarring Mr. Carpay, they have done precisely that. They have sent an unequivocal message: the moment you attempt to intimidate the judiciary, you have placed yourself outside the bounds of professional conduct. You have broken the covenant that allows the law to function as the bedrock of a civilized society.
This is not a left or right issue. It is simply a right and wrong issue. Conservatives should be the first to stand up and defend the independence of our courts, for they are our primary check on state power. To cheer for their intimidation is to cheer for the erosion of the very liberties and protections we claim to cherish.
Yesterday, the system worked. The institution held. The rule of law was upheld. And for that, every Canadian who believes in ordered liberty should be calm, and should be grateful.
- TCC