On October 13, 2021, my associate Maya Kotob, Executive Director of the Empowerment Council, Jennifer Chambers and I reflected on more than 20 years of working together on Inquests in relation to the death of people in crisis killed by police in Ontario. It was a difficult session, as each death affected us personally and deeply, given how much we learned about the person who died and their circumstances during the Inquests.
This session is one of a series of webinars hosted by NARPA in the Fall of 2021 and I commend all of them to you. Ours is longish, runs about 1.5 hours with questions. This is a very important conversation I was honoured to be invited to be part of. Thanks to Jennifer and NARPA for including us.
For those who are interested in this topic, here is the link to the video on NARPA’s YouTube channel:
• 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 