Finally – a well-written thoughtful much-needed piece on the Not Criminally Responsible (NCR) designation and the horror-show that is the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health right now for clients as a result of irresponsible hysterical fear-mongering including by people who should know better. It is so disappointing that so many otherwise intelligent functioning professionals are sadly still wildly ignorant and malicious in this particular dialogue. This article is some vindication finally for the clients who continue to suffer grave harm due to the press hype and the social media blood-thirst of the hateful uneducated masses.
I was really lucky that this wonderful Reporter happened to come down to CAMH to watch a series of Ontario Review Board hearings last month when I was doing a case that caught his interest. He does a spectacular job of painting a human picture of the reality of the situation from all sides.
Not Criminally Responsible
About Anita Szigeti
• Called to the Bar (1992)
• U of T Law grad (1990)
• Sole practitioner (33 years)
• Partner in small law firm (Hiltz Szigeti) 2002 - 2013
• Mom to two astonishing kids, Scarlett (20+) and Sebastian (20-)
• (Founding) Chair of Mental Health Legal Committee for ten years (1997 to 2007)
* Founding President of Law and Mental Disorder Association - LAMDA since 2017
* Founder and Secretary to Women in Canadian Criminal Defence - WiCCD - since 2022
• Counsel to clients with serious mental health issues before administrative tribunals and on appeals
• Former Chair, current member of LAO’s mental health law advisory committee
• Educator, lecturer, widely published author (including 5 text books on consent and capacity law, Canadian civil mental health law, the criminal law of mental disorder, a law school casebook and a massive Anthology on all things mental health and the law)
• Thirty+ years’ experience as counsel to almost exclusively legally aided clients
• Frequently appointed amicus curiae
• Fearless advocate
• Not entirely humourless
anitaszigeti 