CIVILIAN INVESTIGATION INTO FATAL POLICE SHOOTINGS: ONTARIO OMBUDSMAN ANDRÉ MARIN TO PRESENT FINDINGS OF INVESTIGATION INTO THE PROVINCE’S SPECIAL INVESTIGATION UNIT

Montréal, Canada, November 19, 2008 --- Mr. André Marin, the Ombudsman of Ontario, will present his evaluation and critique of the Special Investigation Unit (SIU) of Ontario. This presentation will be part of a public discussion forum, co-sponsored by CRARR, to take place on November 24, 2008, from 7:30 to 9:30 pm, at the Pavillon Sherbrooke de l'Université du Québec à Montréal, located at 200 Sherbrooke West, SH-2420 (between Jeanne-Mance and Saint-Urbain, Place-des-Arts Métro).

Mr. Marin will make a bilingual presentation of the conclusions and recommendations from his investigation report, entitled “Oversight Unseen”, which was published in September. His presentation will be followed by comments from two Quebec experts,Mr. Jean-Claude Icart, Coordinator of the Observatoire international sur le racisme et les discriminations, Chaire de recherche sur l’immigration, l’ethnicité et la citoyenné (CRIEC) at UQAM and Mr. Dominique Peschard, President of the Ligue des droits et libertés du Québec (Quebec Civil Liberties Union). Mr. Icart and Mr.Peschard will compare the Quebec system, in which the police investigate the police, with the Ontario SIU's system.

The SIU is a civilian agency that is unique in Canada whose mandate is to investigate police actions resulting in serious injury or death. It was originally created in 1990, following from recommendations made by the Task Force on Race Relations and Policing, to address public concerns regarding issues of bias and lack of credibility of police forces investigating one another. The Ombudsman's report proposes numerous recommendations to improve the SIU in Ontario.

Held as part of CRARR's activities to mark the 60th Anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the forum aims to promote the creation of a similar civilian investigation system in Quebec, as a result of the fatal police shooting in Montreal North last August, and of the recent developments regarding other deaths following police interventions in Montreal, including those of Rohan Wilson, Mohamed Anas Benis, Michel Berniquez and Quilem Registre. CRIEC, Concordia's School of Community and Public Affairs, the Quebec Civil Liberties Union and QPIRG Concordia are co-sponsors of this event.

Seats are limited; all persons interested in attending this forum should arrive early.