The One Bermuda Alliance has called for an independent investigation into the dealings of disbarred lawyer Myron Simmons while he was consulting for the Government.

The husband of Kathy Lynn Simmons, the former attorney-general and Minister of Legal Affairs and Constitutional Reform, was disbarred after admitting breaches of the Barrister’s Code of Professional Conduct.

Mr Simmons pleaded guilty to three counts against him at an October disciplinary tribunal following a complaint made against him in March 2022.

The tribunal disbarred Mr Simmons on each of the three counts.

Scott Pearman, the Shadow Minister of Justice and Home Affairs, and the Opposition’s spokesman for finance in the House of Assembly, has questioned whether victims would be reimbursed — now that there has been an admission of misdeeds.

Mr Pearman said: “The disgraceful scandal involving former Progressive Labour Party attorney-general, Kathy Lynn Lightbourne Simmons and her husband, Myron Simmons, has entered the next chapter.

“The Bar Council has now disbarred Mr Simmons, ending his ability to practise law. This sanction was inevitable, given he admitted certain charges.

“Is this the final chapter in the scandal? The crucial point here is, these were not victimless crimes.

“At one point, there were a dozen or more known claims made by Bermudian clients against the couple or their former law firm Lightbourne & Simmons.

“Now misdeeds have finally been admitted. Will the victims ever be reimbursed?”

Mr Pearman said that before Mrs Simmons quit the Cabinet and her seat in Sandys North in the summer, she “brazenly refused to answer OBA questions” in the House of Assembly.

He highlighted that the PLP had accused the OBA of a “deliberate smear campaign” and questioned whether justice would be served.

Mr Pearman added: “The OBA is calling for an independent investigation to examine the goings on while Mr Simmons was a government consultant.”

A legal notice which appeared in The Royal Gazette on Friday said that Mr Simmons was accused of “improper conduct unbefitting a barrister” in November 2011.

The notice said Mr Simmons had received $52,000 from clients but, in breach of his duty to pay the money to the Office of the Tax Commissioner, he retained it for his own use.

Additionally, Mr Simmons faced accusations dating from a period between August 2008 and May 2011 when he was retained by HSBC Bank Bermuda Ltd to carry out the functions necessary for the legal transfer of title, including obtaining the funds necessary to pay stamp duty to the OTC.

The notice said the respondent failed to obtain and pay the OTC the stamp duty in respect of at least 14 of the transactions.

A third count related to Mr Simmons carrying out the administration of an estate.

The client eventually launched legal action against Mr Simmons resulting in a consent judgment under which he agreed to pay the client $199,200.34.

Details of the cases were reported in The Royal Gazette on Friday.

Mr Simmons was hired as a senior counsel in the Attorney-General’s Chambers before resigning at the end of March 2023.

He was hired immediately after as a legal consultant at the department on a three-month contract.

A month later, the Attorney-General’s Chambers hired him on a new contract after he launched law firm, Onyx Law.

The firm was still acting as a consultant for the Attorney-General’s Chambers in January when details of the contract were made public.

The ministry said in April the Attorney-General’s Chambers did not employ Mr Simmons or Onyx Law.

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