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. […]

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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 […]

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The family of a Sudbury man, Andrew Martin, has filed a civil claim against the Greater Sudbury Police Service in relation to Andrew’s death in December 2020. Andrew drowned in Lake Nepahwin after falling through the ice.  Andrew struggled with mental health issues and his family had reported him missing.  The lawsuit was filed after […]

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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 […]

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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 […]

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On September 15, 2022, Mercedes Perez gave expert testimony at the Coroner’s Inquest into the death of Matthew Mahoney.  Mercedes was summoned to provide expert evidence on Ontario’s psychiatric detention laws. Mr. Mahoney died in hospital on March 21, 2018 after an interaction with police in Windsor, Ontario. Media coverage of Mercedes’ testimony is available […]

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Mercedes Perez and lawyer Joanna Birenbaum are representing the Coalition for Gun Control at the Mass Casualty Commission. The Mass Casualty Commission is an independent public inquiry jointly established by the Government of Canada and the Province of Nova Scotia.  The Commission’s mandate is to investigate the “causes, context and circumstances” giving rise to the […]

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Kelley Bryan, with co-counsel Karen Spector and Professor Tess Sheldon, appeared at the Supreme Court of Canada on January 12 and 13, 2022 in Attorney General of British Columbia v. Council of Canadians with Disabilities. The Supreme Court is considering whether constitutional litigation may be brought by public interest organizations without an individual co-plaintiff.  Public […]

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Kelley Bryan and co-counsel Karen Steward are honoured to represent the Women’s Legal Education and Action Fund (LEAF) in an upcoming intervention before the Supreme Court of Canada. Last week, the Supreme Court granted LEAF intervener status in the case of AS v. Her Majesty the Queen.  AS will be heard along with another appeal, JJ v. Her Majesty […]

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