The British Columbia Civil Liberties Association has arranged for André Marin and Gareth Jones to present at the Frank Paul Inquiry today. Mr. Marin is the current Ombudsman for Ontario and was the Director of the Special Investigation (SIU) in Ontario from 1996 to 1998. Mr. Jones was a lead investigator for the SIU from 1991 to 1998. He is currently the Director of the Special Ombudsman Response Team (SORT) at the Office of the Ombudsman of Ontario since April 2005.

Their presentation will focus on the mandate and function of the SIU. The SIU is an independent office set up under the Ministry of the Attorney General in Ontario and has responsibility for all aspects of criminal investigations of civilians who die or are seriously injured while in police custody or while being pursued by police, including forensic evidence. In addition, the SIU has responsibility for deciding whether to lay criminal charges against the police. The SIU uses a mix of civilian and former police officers to undertake investigations.

Mr. Marin and Mr. Jones will discuss the SIU model and best practices for ensuring independence in investigations involving police deaths and serious injuries.

The Frank Paul Inquiry is examining the circumstances involving Mr. Paul’s death in 1998 and the responses of various agencies to his death.