Law Society identifies individuals suspected of cheating on bar exam

The Law Society of Ontario says it has identified individuals suspected of being involved in cheating during bar exams in March.

In a statement released Wednesday night, the LSO said letters have been sent to suspected individuals advising them “they will be subject to investigation through the regulatory process as a result of conduct related to the licensing examinations.”

“The letters also request that all documentation and information relevant to the investigation be provided to investigators,” reads the statement.

The LSO would not elaborate on the investigation of specific individuals except to say the evidence points to the involvement of “third parties.”

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Last month, the law society decided to cancel barrister and solicitor examinations that were to be written online from March 8 to 11 and March 22 to 25 after receiving information indicating some people may have accessed exam content.

Initially around 1,100 people were scheduled to write the barrister exam from April 5 to 8 and the solicitor exam from April 26 to 29. However, the exams have now been rescheduled for July and will be done in-person rather than online.

“Continuing with online examinations in light of the ongoing investigation was not possible,” said Diana Miles, Chief Executive Officer. “In-person delivery provides the necessary degree of security to ensure examination integrity and to protect the reputation of all those candidates who are in no way implicated in the investigation.”

The law society also acknowledged that the stress and anxiety caused by the changes and has extended the deadline for examination deferrals and provided financial assistance to licensing candidates.