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Winnipeg Free Press - PRINT EDITION

Appeal Court finds Chapman broke confidentiality deal

By: Mia Rabson

Posted: 12/6/2012 1:00 AM

Alex Chapman accuses judge of harassment. (WINNIPEG FREE PRESS ARCHIVES) Photo Store

OTTAWA -- The man who alleged he was sexually harassed by a Manitoba judge before she was appointed to the bench breached the confidentiality agreement he signed in 2003, the Manitoba Court of Appeal ruled Wednesday.

Alexander Chapman lost his appeal of a lower court ruling that said he had to repay $25,000 he received after he went public in 2010.

Chapman alleges his former lawyer, Jack King, attempted to get him to have sex with King's wife, Lori Douglas. She was a lawyer at the time, but was appointed to the bench in 2005. Douglas has been on leave since Chapman's allegations were made public. The Canadian Judicial Council launched an inquiry into the case.

In June, Chapman was ordered to repay the $25,000 and pay more than $7,000 in King's legal costs. He appealed that decision. The Court of Appeal dismissed his appeal Wednesday. The judges agreed with the original judge that Chapman had breached the agreement.

The court also denied Chapman's attempt to raise new issues during the appeal, noting he had failed to show up during the original hearing. The appeal judges also seemed to agree with King that Chapman attempted to use the appeal as a chance to argue his own lawsuit against King, which he filed in 2010. That lawsuit was thrown out by the courts.

King has admitted to giving Chapman nude photos of his wife but Douglas has denied any knowledge of the situation.

The inquiry is on hold while procedural matters are sorted out, including a request to have the procedure thrown out. It argues the five members of the inquiry committee are biased against Douglas.

mia.rabson@freepress.mb.ca

Republished from the Winnipeg Free Press print edition December 6, 2012 A6