Osborne Barnwell holds a Bachelor of Arts (B.A) (1978) degree with a major in Economics from the University of Western Ontario, located in London, Ontario. Canada. In 1980, he achieved an Honors Degree in Commerce, with Accounting as his major, from the University of Windsor, Windsor, Ontario, Canada. In June 2000, he achieved the Designation of a Certified General Accountant (CGA) which was awarded by the Canadian General Accountants Association. From January 1980 to September 1988, he worked with Revenue Canada, now called Canada Customs and Revenue Agency (CCRA), as a Tax Auditor.
In 1991, he was awarded a Bachelor of Laws degree from Osgoode Hall Law School at York University, in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. In February 1993, he was called to the Ontario Bar. After his call, he worked at the Federal Department of Justice at Toronto (the Firm at which he articled) in Immigration Litigation and in April 1994, he left that position to work for a Chartered Accountant Firm in Tax Litigation. Finding himself doing more accounting than litigating, he then formed a partnership and entered into Legal practice with another lawyer. They began a partnership in 1994, which dissolved in 1996.
Mr. Barnwell has also been an instructor, and has taught Accounting, Tax Law and Introduction to Law courses at various Institutions. For several years, he also taught the Law Course for the Canadian General Accountants Association.
Mr. Barnwell is committed to not only practicing law, but to also providing a service to the community. In addition to tax related matters, Mr. Barnwell specializes in Immigration issues β many of which are centered on Federal Court Litigation involving injunctions against deportations and Judicial Review of decisions of Immigration and visa officers.
In terms of Tax Law, Mr. Barnwell can support Taxpayers to deal with all issues from Income Tax to Goods and Services Tax that arise with CCRA. Such assistance includes representation at the administrative level during audits of tax payers returns, appeals to the Appeal Division against incorrect assessments/reassessments, appeals to the Tax Court of Canada and appeals or Judicial Reviews to the Federal Court. In addition, he assists clients in the area of the Ontario Provincial Sales Tax such as directorβs liability assessments.
Mr. Barnwell has developed a deep interest and indeed, a viable practice, within the Civil Litigation area for clients who are victims of police misconduct or other government agents such as customs officers. He assists clients in laying complaints and where appropriate, in initiating claims against the police and government agents for wrongs done and injuries suffered. Mr. Barnwell is amongst a small group of lawyers who litigates racial profiling issues in the Province of Ontario.
Employment Law is also a vibrant part of his practice and this involves for the most part representations on behalf of employees who have been wrongfully dismissed or those who have been given termination packages which are considered inadequate.