On May 21, 2026 the Ontario Superior Court of Justice released a precedent setting ruling in the ongoing battle over an encampment of vulnerable homeless individuals located at 100 Victoria Street in Kitchener. This long-standing encampment has served as a sheltering refuge of last resort for chronically homeless individuals who cannot find indoor shelter in […]
Category: News
On August 20, 2025, the Ontario Superior Court of Justice released an important decision concerning homelessness, encampments, and municipal authority in The Regional Municipality of Waterloo v. Persons Unknown and to be Ascertained, 2025 ONSC 4774. The decision arose from Waterloo Region’s attempt to enforce a new site-specific by-law to clear the long-standing encampment at […]
Mercedes Perez is representing the Canadian Mental Health Association, Ontario at the coroner’s inquest into the death of Soleiman Faqiri. To date, the inquest has heard from numerous witnesses describing the conditions of Mr. Faqiri’s confinement at the Central East Correctional Centre where he died on December 15, 2016 while awaiting a court-ordered psychiatric assessment. […]
Mercedes Perez is representing the Canadian Mental Health Association, Ontario at the Coroner’s inquest into the death of Soleiman Faqiri. The inquest is being held virtually, began today and is scheduled for 15 days. It is being streamed live daily through this link. Mr. Faqiri died at the Central East Correctional Centre in Lindsay, Ontario […]
On January 27, 2023, the Honorable Justice Valente released a precedent setting decision on the issue of homelessness and homeless outdoor encampments in Ontario. This precedent setting Superior Court of Justice case titled The Regional Municipality of Waterloo v. Persons Unknown and to be Ascertained, 2023 ONSC 670 can now be accessed on CanLII. The […]
The Mass Casualty Commission will be releasing a 7 volume Final Report on March 30, 2023. The Final Report will be released in person at the Best Western Glengarry in Truro, Nova Scotia at 12 p.m. AST as well as via live webcast on the Commission’s website. Mercedes Perez and lawyer Joanna Birenbaum represented the […]
Mercedes Perez and lawyer Joanna Birenbaum are representing the Coalition for Gun Control at Nova Scotia’s Mass Casualty Commission. Final oral submissions were presented on September 22, 2022. Here is a link to media coverage of the Coalition’s comments and recommendations: CBC News, “What Both Sides of Gun Control Issue Want to See from the […]