Senator Don Meredith seen during an interview in Toronto, Thursday, March 16, 2017. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Colin Perkel
OTTAWA – The lawyer representing a former senator charged with sexual assault says it’s “troubling” the Senate voted to strip his client of the title of “Honourable” while a process is ongoing in court.
The upper chamber voted this week to ask Gov. Gen. Mary Simon to take the title away from Meredith as well as other former senators who had been indicted and convicted of a crime.
Meredith resigned from the Senate amid allegations of sexual misconduct in 2017 and Ottawa police charged him with sexual assault and criminal harassment in October.
Mustafa Sheikh says his client intends to fight the charges against him and believes the Senate acted “prematurely.”
A spokeswoman for Rideau Hall declined to provide comment when asked whether Simon intends to remove the title as asked.
The motion passed by the Senate could also affect Raymond Lavigne, a former Quebec senator who served time for fraud and who could not be reached for comment this week.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 1,2022.
