Lawyer blasted for meddling with kin’s decision to let brain-dead man die
TORONTO — A lawyer who took it upon herself to interfere in a decision to withdraw life support from her severely brain damaged client had no right to do so and deserves to have legal costs assessed against her, Ontario’s top court has ruled.
In its decision, the Court of Appeal slammed Georgiana Masgras for getting in the way of her client’s family and his doctors, and potentially ruining an opportunity to donate his organs.
Masgras, the court concluded, breached the basic principles of how lawyers should behave and their “duty to act honourably” and seriously interfered with the administration of justice.
The case arose when Fernando Ferreira, of Kitchener, Ont., went into unexpected cardiac arrest at home in July 2017. Paramedics managed to restore his pulse, and took him to St. Mary’s General Hospital, where he was placed on life support. Within days, however, it became clear his brain was badly damaged and he had no prospect of recovery.