A prominent Vancouver lawyer who defended one of the men accused in the Air India bombing has been charged with assault after police say he attacked two men who tried to intervene in an argument.
Terry LaLiberte, 67, was arrested on the evening of Nov. 21 near the intersection of Carrall and East Cordova streets.
Witnesses told investigators that they had seen a woman running after a car, and when it stopped a moment later, the driver got out and started shouting at her. When two bystanders tried to help the woman, they were allegedly attacked.
The Law Society of B.C. has opened its own investigation into the incident.
"If we find ultimately that the allegations have fallen short of our expectations of our lawyers, we will take the appropriate action," spokeswoman Robyn Crisanti said.
She added that LaLiberte has resigned his membership in the society's ethics committee.
LaLiberte has been involved in several high-profile cases, including defending Ripudaman Singh Malik, who was acquitted in the 1985 Air India bombing, and representing the man who shot popular artist Lee Matasi to death. He often offers legal analysis in the media and is a former member of the Vancouver Police Board.
