Alberta law society reprimands ex-justice minister Kaycee Madu, orders $39K payment

Alberta's law society has formally reprimanded former provincial justice minister Kaycee Madu and ordered him to pay nearly $39,000 in costs. 

Madu was found guilty last year of conduct worthy of sanction when, as justice minister in 2021, he phoned Edmonton's police chief after receiving a traffic ticket. 

Madu was issued the ticket for distracted driving on March 10, 2021 by an Edmonton police officer. The officer said Madu had his cellphone in his hand while driving in a school zone.

Madu then called Edmonton police Chief Dale McFee to discuss the $300 ticket.

Madu told a hearing last year he didn't call McFee about the ticket, but was looking for reassurance that he wasn't being racially profiled or illegally surveilled.

A panel of law society members determined after a hearing that Madu's actions were irresponsible, and that he tried to use his position of power to influence a personal issue.

The panel issued a formal reprimand and ordered Madu to cover hearing costs, rather than suspend his law licence or disbar him.

The panel rejected Madu's request to have the law society's decision stand as the reprimand, with his lawyer arguing the public attention the case garnered will be inescapable.

Madu is appealing the panel's discipline decision.

Madu has been working as a lawyer in a private practice since leaving government and he could be facing a suspended licence or disbarment. Madu was removed from the justice portfolio by then-premier Jason Kenney after news of the phone call was made public in 2022.

However, Kenney would later make Madu labour minister, and Madu briefly served as deputy premier under Danielle Smith. He lost his 2023 re-election bid in the Edmonton-South West riding to NDP candidate Nathan Ip, and has been working in private practice since.

McFee finishes his tenure as Edmonton police chief this month and is set to begin a new job as as the Alberta government's top civil servant on Feb. 24.