King's Counsel honours stirs questions, accusations of patronage

Guest: Jacques Gallant, courts and justice reporter The Ford government is facing accusations of patronage for bringing back the King's Counsel (K.C. for short) special designation for lawyers and awarding it to numerous Tory politicians, staffers and loyalists. Meant to be "given to lawyers who have demonstrated a commitment to the pursuit of legal excellence in service to the Crown, the public and their communities," the government's move provoked significant reaction as the list of appointees included Transportation Minister Caroline Mulroney, who had just been called to the bar in Ontario days before. Further, The Star revealed that more than a dozen lawyers who received the K.C. honour had recently donated to Ontario Attorney General Doug Downey's election campaign. Jacques Gallant, a crime and justice reporter, joins "This Matters" to talk about the Ford King's Counsel move. This episode was produced by Paulo Marques and Brian Bradley.