NEWS RELEASE
For Immediate Release 2005PSSG0052-001164 Dec. 14, 2005	Ministry of Public Safety and Solicitor General
HUGHES TO COMPLETE DEPUTY SOLICITOR GENERAL'S REVIEW

VICTORIA – An internal deputy solicitor general’s review into the failed transfer of child death files to the coroner’s office three years ago will be completed by Ted Hughes as part of his broader probe into the child death review process in B.C., Solicitor General John Les announced today.

 

            Both reviews were launched last month, after it was discovered that 713 child death files had not been properly transferred from the Children’s Commission to the BC Coroner’s Service and as a result, did not receive a second level of review.

 

            “It was government’s job to ensure that the investigations into these children’s deaths were completed,” said Les. “Deputy solicitor general David Morhart’s initial findings confirm that we failed to do that and we take full responsibility.”

 

            Morhart and a small team conducted a series of fact-finding interviews with key individuals involved in the transfer of files in 2002 and 2003. They found that:

• There was no comprehensive transition plan in place and, as a result, there was a lack of clarity on specific roles and responsibilities in addition to limited ability for follow-up;
• The coroner’s office budget was not adequate to meet its new mandate and added responsibilities;
• There were inadequate data-record and reporting systems among the agencies involved. For example, the Children’s Commission, Coroners Service, the Office of the Child and Youth Officer and the Ministry of Children and Family Development were using separate electronic systems that did not communicate or share information with each other.
  
  

            “I promised British Columbians a full accounting of what went wrong,” said Les. “In order to do that I’m handing these findings over to Mr. Hughes because he has the independence, expertise and legal authority to get to the bottom of what happened with these files.”

 

            It’s expected Hughes will report publicly early in the new year.

 

            In the meantime, government continues to address the resource challenges of the coroner’s service. An additional $1.4 million has been added to the coroner’s service budget to address ongoing child death review responsibilities. Reporting structures have also been enhanced. As well, new staff will be hired to address increasing caseload volumes and the requirement to report out in a timely manner, as already identified by the chief coroner.

 

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Attached is a letter from Solicitor General John Les to Ted Hughes.

 

1 other document(s) attached.
Media contact:	Cindy Rose Public Affairs Officer 250 356-6961
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