The Law Society has obtained a B.C. Supreme Court order for the arrest of John P. Gorman, a disbarred former Ontario lawyer accused by the society of practising law in B.C.

Justice John E.D. Savage issued the ex parte order on June 25. It commits Gorman to prison for 14 days upon being taken into custody.

This week's decision came after Savage had ruled in 2011 that Gorman should serve two weeks in jail and pay a $5,000 fine for being in contempt of a 2001 court order.

Prior to the 2011 ruling, Gorman wrote a letter to the society objecting to its allegation that he had practised law without a licence in B.C.

In the letter, which was mentioned in the 2011 ruling, Gorman stated that he was in Ontario looking for work as a condo manager.

"I have returned to Ontario to file a civil and criminal case of conspiracy by the Law Society of Upper Canada and British Columbia for defamation of my reputation," Gorman stated at the time. "I have already commenced an Action for $20,000,000.00 damages for wrongful disbarment in 1984."

Savage's recent ruling stated that in 2012, "the Law Society learned that Mr. Gorman had returned to British Columbia. It appeared to the Law Society that Mr. Gorman was again practicing law in British Columbia."

That brought on a second contempt application. Savage wrote that Gorman successfully sought an extension to have the 2011 contempt order reviewed. Gorman also obtained a court ruling adjourning the law society's second application.

In August 2012, the B.C. Court of Appeal dismissed Savage's bid to overturn the contempt finding.

The law society has since alleged that Gorman has returned to B.C.

"Mr. Gorman has not served his period of incarceration or paid the $5000 fine I imposed," Savage declared in his recent decision.