On March 12, 2009, DCI-Canada  appeared before the Ontario Legislature, Standing Committee on Justice Policy to comment on proposed legislation that will amend the Coroners Act. Bill 115, Coroners Amendment Act, 2008, was introduced in the Ontario Legislature by Hon. Rick Bartolucci on October 23, 2008.

Bill 115 is one of the Ontario government’s key responses to the Goudge Inquiry. DCI-Canada had standing in the Goudge Inquiry and our final submissions recommended numerous reforms to Ontario’s pediatric forensic pathology system, a new child death review process, and measures to ensure justice for children who were wrongfully separated from their families because of the faulty pathology opinions of Dr. Charles Smith.

Our submission to the Standing Committee on Justice Policy recommends three amendments to the bill. We also recommended the establishment of an independent, transparent and multidisciplinary body to review deaths of children in state care in Ontario. Finally, we urged the Legislature to take action to ensure justice for children who were wrongfully separated from their families because of the faulty pathology opinions of Dr. Smith.

DCI-Canada’s Submission on Bill 115
(March 12, 2009) ( 1.4 MB / 32 pages)

Transcript of our presentation to the Committee (March 12, 2009)

DCI-Canada’s Reply Submission on Bill 115
Re: Minister’s Power to Direct a Coroner’s Inquest
(March 16, 2009) (164 KB / 3 pages)

TORONTO, August 17, 2007—The Honourable Stephen Goudge, Commissioner of the Inquiry into Pediatric Forensic Pathology in Ontario, granted standing to Defence for Children International-Canada (DCI-Canada) in his ruling on standing and funding today.

“We are pleased to have the opportunity to participate in this public inquiry,” stated Les Horne, Executive Director of DCI-Canada. “Our child rights-based perspective will help to ensure that the Inquiry considers the best interests of the child, the child’s right to be heard, the child’s right to freedom from all forms of violence, and other rights contained in the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child.”

In his ruling on standing and funding, Commissioner Goudge stated:

DCI-Canada has experience and expertise in the prevention of violence against children and the prevention of institutional child abuse in particular. This may very well help the Commission to address the issue of how pediatric forensic pathology can best assist child death investigation, and even more, the issue of how surviving children are best dealt with in those circumstances. It should also have standing.

DCI-Canada will be represented in the Inquiry by Toronto lawyer Suzan E. Fraser.

DCI-Canada is one of 11 individuals, groups and institutions granted standing in the Inquiry. Detailed information about the Inquiry is available on the Inquiry web site.

For more information contact:

DCI-Canada
Phone: 416-907-7432
E-mail: contact @ dci-canada.org