Ontario’s shift toward virtual coroner’s inquests scoops in high-profile Ottawa case
CBC speaks to Kirsten Mercer about virtual versus in-person coroner’s inquests
The CBC is reporting on a coroner’s inquest into the death of a man, Jason Peterson, who was shot by police. The inquest was held by video conference and Mr. Peterson’s family felt that it was isolating and that they were treated as outcasts.
The CBC spoke to Kirsten Mercer and others about virtual inquests and the impact they may have on participants:
Some families may want to participate but not share space with a perpetrator, said lawyer Kirsten Mercer, who represented a women’s advocacy group during a 2022 inquest in Pembroke, Ont., that was focused on intimate partner violence.
Streaming inquests is “a huge advancement,” Mercer added, but when deciding whether participation by key parties should be virtual, the pros should outweigh the cons, she said.
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People who’ve tried to celebrate a family birthday on Zoom know “there is something that is missing when you’re participating through a screen,” Mercer said.
“The nature of the inquest process lends itself to a kind of collaboration that’s just harder to manifest with little heads and boxes,” Mercer added.