Laurent Commission back online
during their preliminary analysis, the commissioners identified witnesses who were essential to hear in order to complete the investigation. Thus, public videoconference hearings will be held over the next two weeks to collect these testimonies. These will take place on May 20, 21, 22, 26, 27 and 28. Details of the schedules and witnesses will be published on the Commission’s website and it will be possible to follow these hearings live by webcast by following this address: https://www.csdepj.gouv.qc.ca/audiences/, similar to the way that they could be when held in person.
The commission emphasizes that, as has become a familiar issue for many working from home, the success of the upcoming videoconferences is dependent on the proper functioning of the technology, so patience is requested.
“We intend to respect the public nature of the work of the Commission,” the announcement reads. “If there were to be a partial or total interruption in the broadcast of a hearing, the audio and the verbatim will be accessible via the website.”
The Laurent Commission was created in the wake of the death of a young girl in Granby in April of 2019 and is the largest scale review of youth protection services that has taken place in the province to date. It is meant to examine not just the services that failed the particular child who died last year, but the entire system as a whole. Prior
to the shutdown, the commission had been touring the province to meti with organizations and agencies within their own communities. It came to Sherbrooke for three days in February.