Judge fines Salmon Arm dentist for ‘inexcusable’ conduct in divorce case

A BC judge has told a Shuswap dentist, and former Libertarian Party candidate, that the emails he sent to his wife and her lawyer were about the worst she’d ever seen in a divorce case.

In an unusual move, BC Supreme Court Justice Lorianna Bennett also issued a $5,000 fine to Salmon Arm dentist Robert Douglas Johnson for ignoring a court order that required him to hand over financial information.

“It is without question that Dr. Johnson’s emails are unprofessional, derogatory, and harassing in nature both of Melanie Johnson and of her legal counsel, both past and present. I will say that his communications are about the worst communications that I have ever seen in family law litigation and I have several years of family law litigation under my belt,” the Justice says in a recently published July 7 BC Supreme Court decision.

The Justice went on to say that Dr. Johnson’s behaviour was “inexcusable.”

“It is untenable and far from appropriate for any type of court proceeding, let alone one that involves children,” the Justice says.

The court decision doesn’t say what Dr. Johnson said in the emails to his wife and her lawyer, but the Justice did make a court order about what Dr. Johnson can’t say in the future.

“(Dr. Johnson) will not communicate in a manner that is abusive, offensive, or threatening to claimant’s counsel and the respondent will not disparage, threaten, accuse, or discuss the ethical or moral integrity of, discuss the legal practices of, or criticize the competence or conduct of claimant’s counsel in any communication with claimant’s counsel,” Justice Bennett says.

The dentist has been ordered to provide an independent financial report for the dental practice, which they had run together.

“But Dr. Johnson has not co-operated with the obtaining of the report, despite that the report is necessary for when this trial proceeds in November 2025,” the decision reads.

The couple, who had run Johnson Dental together, began their divorce proceedings in 2022 and it has not gone smoothly.

The dentist doesn’t have a lawyer and is representing himself in court.

“He has made his position clear that he is not in agreement with the way these proceedings have been lagging since they were first started, nor is he content with the responses that he has received either from Ms. Johnson, her counsel or former counsel,” the Justice says.

The court document references that Dr. Johnson has spent time in custody due to his conduct during the divorce proceedings, although it doesn’t say what he did.

“I do encourage you for the sake of moving forward without any further potential, harmful consequences against you, further fines or penalties, or worse, you would not want to find yourself in custody again … I am sure that was not a pleasant experience,” the Justice said.

“I think that I’m not the one that should be in custody,” Dr. Johnson told the Justice.

Dr. Johnson is also facing four criminal charges for disobeying a court order in May. It’s not known what the dentist is alleged to have done, and he is scheduled to be in court next week on the matter.

The dentist made headlines in early 2022 when he released a video slamming the provincial government’s move to have health-care professionals vaccinated against COVID-19.

In 2024, he ran as the Libertarian Party candidate for the Vernon-Lumby riding. He came in last place with 265 votes.

In the divorce proceedings, Justice Bennett orders the dentist to organize the financial reports and orders him to pay special costs, which are normally reserved for poor behaviour.

The dentist doesn’t appear happy about having to pay the legal costs.

“As far as costs go… who’s paying for him flying up here? I’m not paying for that,” the dentist says, referring to his wife’s lawyer’s fees.