Since September 1, 2026, the Law Society of Ontario's public Lawyer and Paralegal Directory has carried information it did not publish before. Anyone who looks up a lawyer or paralegal can now see findings of guilt, practice in another regulated profession and, in some cases, notice that the Law Society intends to seek an interlocutory order.
For a licensee with a charge, a conviction or an investigation on the desk, the first question is simple: what will a client or a colleague see, and when? Here is what the directory now shows, what puts each entry there, and where it sits in the process.
What the directory already showed
The change built on an existing record. The Law Society's Increased transparency page lists what the directory continues to show: name, business contact details, practising status, areas of law or legal services, languages offered, regulatory history, practice restrictions and active trusteeships.
It also carries enhanced information about surrendered or revoked licences, notices of regulatory proceedings before the Law Society Tribunal, and summaries of regulatory meetings.
So a Tribunal proceeding was already visible. What changed is what can now appear with no Tribunal proceeding on the file at all.
What was added on September 1
Convocation amended By-Law 8 on May 28, 2026, and the by-law's own amendment history records that the change took effect on September 1, 2026. According to the transparency page, the directory now adds:
- findings of guilt
- practice of other regulated professions
- notice of the Law Society's intention to seek interlocutory relief based on criminal or other charges, in certain circumstances, before an interlocutory proceeding starts or the licensee signs an undertaking
On other professions, the by-law is narrow. Section 10(1), paragraph 8, puts "the fact of that authorization" on the register when a licensee is authorized to practise another regulated profession in Ontario or elsewhere in Canada. It names the authorization and nothing further.
One item is leaving. The transparency page says fax numbers are coming off the directory because the Law Society no longer stores them. Few will mourn the fax.
When a finding of guilt appears
Reporting and publishing are two separate duties. Under section 2(1) of By-Law 8, a licensee must tell the Law Society in writing, "as soon as reasonably practicable" after receiving notice, of a charge under the listed statutes and of how the charge is resolved. The Law Society says those enhanced reporting requirements took effect for all licensees on March 31, 2026.
The listed statutes are:
- the Criminal Code
- the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act
- the Income Tax Act, or a province's or territory's income tax law
- the Excise Tax Act
- Ontario's Occupational Health and Safety Act, or other Canadian occupational health and safety law
- provincial or territorial securities law
- any other federal or provincial statute, where the charge alleges dishonesty, explicitly or implicitly, or relates in any way to the licensee's professional business
Each item also reaches comparable offences outside Canada.
Publication is a different provision. Sections 2(6) and 2(7) of By-Law 8 say that when the Law Society has the information, the register "shall" contain a finding of guilt for an offence on that list, a finding of guilt for any offence whose penalty includes imprisonment or a fine over $5,000, and a finding of civil or criminal contempt of court.
The same list adds the sentence, any conditions on release after the finding or pending an appeal, and any appeal and its outcome.
A charge on its own is not on that list. Sections 2(6) and 2(7) speak of findings, not charges. A charge reaches the public by the separate route described below.
Section 2(6) of By-Law 8 also sets out five situations in which a finding stays off the register:
- the finding is overturned on appeal
- a pardon is obtained for it
- a record suspension is ordered under the Criminal Records Act
- the finding resulted in an absolute discharge and more than one year has passed since that discharge
- the finding resulted in a conditional discharge and more than three years have passed since that discharge
The notice of intent to seek interlocutory relief
This is the earliest entry the directory can now carry, and it can come before any finding.
An interlocutory order is one made while a matter is still pending, before it is finally decided. Under section 49.27 of the Law Society Act, the Tribunal's Hearing Division may make one. It may suspend a licence or restrict how a licensee practises only if there are reasonable grounds to believe there is a significant risk of harm to members of the public, or to the public interest in the administration of justice, if the order is not made.
By-Law 8 now lets the Law Society say it intends to ask for such an order once it knows of a charge on the reporting list:
"Where the Society has information indicating that a licensee has been charged with an offence mentioned in clause 2 (1) (a), the Society may disclose its intention to seek an interlocutory order under section 49.27 of the Act in relation to the licensee, including each offence with which the licensee has been charged."
By-Law 8, section 2(5), Law Society of Ontario
Two words in that text do most of the work. The first is "may", not "shall": the notice is discretionary. The second is "each": the notice names every offence charged.
Timing is the point of the change. The transparency page says the notice can appear before an interlocutory proceeding begins or before the licensee signs an undertaking. The Law Society describes the amendments as putting relevant information on the directory "at an earlier stage", while interlocutory measures and undertakings continue to provide disclosure where there are criminal or other charges.
Questions people ask
Are Law Society complaints public?
As a rule, not while they are being investigated. Section 49.12 of the Law Society Act bars the Law Society's benchers, officers, employees, agents and representatives from disclosing information about an investigation or proceeding, or a potential one. The exceptions include disclosure the by-laws specify, and By-Law 8 uses that exception for findings of guilt and the interlocutory notice. Once a proceeding is before the Law Society Tribunal, the directory shows a notice of it.
What is the Law Society Tribunal?
It is the body established by section 49.20.1 of the Law Society Act, and the Law Society's regulatory proceedings are brought before it. It has two divisions: the Law Society Tribunal Hearing Division and the Law Society Tribunal Appeal Division. The Hearing Division can also make interlocutory orders under section 49.27, including a suspension or practice restriction when the significant-risk test is met.
What is the Law Society of Ontario?
It is the body governed by Ontario's Law Society Act. Under section 4.1, its function is to ensure that everyone who practises law or provides legal services in Ontario meets appropriate standards of learning, professional competence and professional conduct. Section 4.2 sets the principles it must have regard to, including a duty to protect the public interest and a duty to act in a timely, open and efficient manner.
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This article is general information about how the process works, not legal advice about your situation.