“Donald Bayne was a fierce advocate and tactically brilliant lawyer on Duffy. There is no one else like him.” That’s what voters told Canadian Lawyer about the Law’69 alumnus who was named by the magazine as one of 2016’s Top 25 Most Influential in the justice system and legal profession in Canada. 

Canadian Lawyer has published the following citation for Bayne, a partner with Bayne Sellar Boxall in Ottawa: 

In what was perhaps the second-most high-profile criminal case in the last year, Bayne represented embattled Senator Mike Duffy who faced 31 counts of fraud, breach of trust, and bribery over Senate expenses. Bayne’s arguments resulted in Duffy’s acquittal on all of them. The ruling was not appealed, but the senator is still facing a battle in the Red Chamber over repayments of some expenses. Because of the outcome of the trial, however, there is speculation the ruling could stave off attempts to charge other senators with similar crimes. Post-trial, there have also been changes to Senate spending rules. Bayne is a giant of the criminal bar with a four-decade career working on seminal murder, war crimes, and extradition cases as well as high-profile inquiries such as Somalia and Maher Arar.

Queen’s Law congratulates Don Bayne on receiving this honour.