Ottawa lawyer’s licence revoked after being found guilty of criminal harassment, extortion

James Bowie arrives at the Ottawa courthouse in February 2025. (Katie Griffin/CTV News Ottawa)

James Bowie is no longer licenced to practice law in Ontario, months after the Ottawa man was sentenced to four years in prison for criminal harassment and extortion.

The Law Society of Ontario’s website states that Bowie’s law licence has been revoked. The Law Society Tribunal decides whether to revoke a lawyer’s licence, and is the body that processes, hears and decides regulatory cases between the Law Society and Ontario lawyers.

Bowie was found guilty in March of extortion, uttering death threats and criminal harassment. In September, Bowie was sentenced to four years in prison.

CTV News Ottawa first reported the misconduct allegations against Bowie in 2022.

His former client Leanne Aubin stated publicly and to the Law Society of Ontario that Bowie had offered her legal services in exchange for oral sex.

Court heard Bowie asked a friend to obtain a firearm for him and requested her help to “get rid of the Leanne Aubin problem.”

The friend stopped responding to his many messages. Bowie admitted to placing GPS trackers on her vehicle and followed her to grocery stores and her home.

With files from CTV News Ottawa’s Katie Griffin and Austin Lee