Integrity, accountability key in death probes
All Ontarians deserve dignity in death, and all who grieve the loss of family members and friends are
ntitled to a professional assessment of cause free from personal biases and political considerations.
Ontario’s medical coroners and pathologists are dedicated servants of the public interest in this regard. Yet, there are worrying signs that the integrity of Ontario’s death investigation system — a model for other provinces and jurisdictions abroad — is not being respected by the public organizations responsible or the Ministry of the Solicitor General to which these bodies report.
Whichever party wins the provincial election will have to act to decisively to restore integrity and accountability to death investigations.
In Ontario, death investigations and inquests are conducted by the office of the chief coroner (OCC), Dr. Dirk Huyer. If an autopsy is ordered by coroners, they are performed by the Ontario Forensic Pathology Serav v Ontario’s chief forensic pathologist Dr. Michael Pollanen.
Both Dr. Huyer and Dr. Pollanen are accountable to the Death Investigation and Oversight Council (DIOC), created in 2010 to maintain public confidence in death investigations, ensure transparency and prevent the kind of abuse of power that led to the Goudge Inquiry.
Rather than upholding public trust, these organizations are failing it. Consider, cost cutting by Dr. Huyer led to a reduction in investigations into deaths in long-term-care homes.
Allegations of bullying behaviour directed by Dr. Jane Turner at Dr. Pollanen were ignored by DIOC. A damning auditor general’s report, the abrupt closure of Hamilton’s forensic pathology unit by Dr. Pollanen, and secrecy in handling of complaints has cast doubt on the oversight role of DIOC.
Still, the Ontario government sits passively by. Things are poised to get worse. In a document distributed to coroners and other stakeholders, the Ministry of the Solicitor General is proposing to change the model of how death investigations are completed.
Along with a stated goal of finding cost savings, new rules being considered would let far less qualified people become coroners. This could include people with no medical experience. Currently, a coroner must be a medical doctor. The new model would follow an example from British Columbia, likely with similarly damaging results.
With a rising death rate, an ongoing pandemic, more complex cases and an already strained health-care system, will less qualified, non-medical investigators be able to interpret and explain to families the facts surrounding the death of their loved ones?
Will they be able to effectively support police on the scene of a violent or ambiguous death to help their investigation? Will they be able to get medical answers for grieving families in a timely way?
Now more than ever, we need a government that values the work of coroners and pathologists, and fosters a culture of excellence, free of interference or intimidation.
When the system fails, the consequences can be devastating. Just ask the families whose children’s deaths were falsely labelled abuse, or those who pursue justice because power was abused.
Families deserve competent, fair investigations into the death of their loved ones. Coroners and other health-care stakeholders expect professionalism from the agencies in charge and the promised accountabilitt tasked with ty and transparency from the organization oversight. Voters are entitled to a government that accepts responsibility for upholding integrity in death investigations.
Coroners are going to the Ontario Labour Relations Board to ensure a front-line voice is at the table as the future of death investigations in the province are decided. A brave pathologist, Dr. Turner, is going to court to fight for accountability against Dr. Pollanen.
Who among the political candidates seeking to represent Ontarians in this election will demonstrate the same commitment to the public interest and give voice to the voiceless?