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Deputy Mayor Doug Holyday first asked Ms. Leiper to apologize on the floor of council Thursday as city council discussed a report she wrote explaining the court’s decision.

He said Ms. Leiper should have sought legal advice before interpreting a “grey area.”

Councillor Gord Perks was “appalled” the deputy mayor didn’t understand the importance of testing a new area of law in court. He pointed out that courts rendered two different decisions on the matter, “indicating that the areas were complex and difficult enough.”

Ms. Leiper would not respond to the deputy mayor’s apology request when asked by reporters later. She explained the rationale behind her suggested sanction, however, to council, saying she examined the penalties that were at her disposal and deemed that a member could improperly direct a benefit somewhere else that could attract a “corrective action.” So, her recommendation sought to “correct the people who were compromised, correct those lobbyists who gave donations who should not have been asked in the first place.”

City council also learned Thursday that it could be on the hook for Mayor Rob Ford’s legal bills, after city solicitor Anna Kinastowski revealed the mayor is entitled to ask for reimbursement. Mayor Ford wouldn’t say if he intends to do so because because Mr. Magder intends to seek leave to appeal the decision to the Supreme Court of Canada. “I doubt he’ll ask. I’m sure he won’t, but he’s out of pocket an awful lot of money,” said Mr. Holyday.

The Divisional Court judgment says that if both parties cannot agree on costs, then the court will consider written submissions on the matter. Usually, the losing party is ordered to pay the winner’s court costs.