...what failings in our long-term care homes system could allow Elizabeth Wettlaufer to seriously harm or kill 13 residents in long-term care homes and attempt to kill a home-care client in her own home without detection, while working as a registered nurse.To date, the Commission’s legal team has reviewed more than 41,000 documents in investigations into:
In many ways, this inquiry is about healing — healing our broken trust in the long-term care homes system. I most sincerely hope that through these public hearings, the Ontario public begins to feel heard — and therefore, begins to heal.The Inquiry is open to any interested members of the public. It will deliver its final Report on July 31, 2019. We will continue to monitor the Inquiry as it proceeds and provide further information as it becomes available. At Wise Health Law, we provide exceptional guidance on health law matters to public hospitals, long-term care homes, and other health-care providers across the province. We monitor trends and developments in the health sector so that we can provide consistently forward-thinking legal advice and risk management guidance to all of our clients. We have offices in both Toronto and Oakville, Ontario, and are easily accessible. Contact us online, or at 416-915-4234 for a consultation.
In December 2019, Ontario’s Attorney General introduced Bill 161, the Smarter and Stronger Justice Act (the “Act”), which became law on July 8, 2020. The Act hopes to simplify a complex and outdated justice system by bringing changes to how legal aid services are delivered, how class actions are handled, and how court processes are administered.
Of note, the Act has amended the Judicial Review Procedures Act (JRPA) to establish new rules as to when an application for judicial review may be brought.
Any decisions made on or after July 8, 2020 are now subject to a 30-day limit for bringing an application for judicial review unless another Act provides otherwise. Courts, however, retain powers to extend the time for making an application for judicial review if satisfied that there are apparent grounds for relief and that no prejudice or hardship will be incurred by the delay. Before these amendments, the JRPA did not set out any time limits for bringing an application, but courts had powers to extend the time to bring an application if another Act prescribed the limit.