Anita Szigeti
Hear My Name at: https://www.name-coach.com/anita-szigeti
Pronunciation Notes:
ahneetah seegetty
The WiCCDest Woman Ever – Women in Canadian Defence Names Anita “The WiCCDest”
Check out Anita’s Linktree here for video programs, podcasts, upcoming events and links to all socials: https://linktr.ee/anitaszigeti
LinkTree: https://linktr.ee/anitaszigeti
Email: anita.szigeti.cla@gmail.com
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/anita-szigeti-mhlawyer/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/pouchbaby – Twitter: https://twitter.com/LAMDACANADA
LONG FORM CV HERE: https://anitaszigeti.wordpress.com/2022/06/07/anita-szigeti-curriculum-vitae-current-versions/
HIGHLIGHTS:
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- General Co-Editor and Author, Canadian Anthology on Mental Health and the Law (2024)
- General Co-Editor and Author, Law and Mental Health In Canada: Cases and Materials (2023)
- Co-Author, A Guide to Consent and Capacity Law in Ontario, (2024) – updated annually since 2005
- Co-Author, Halsbury’s Canada, Mental Health Law, (2023) – updated every four years since 2011
- Co-Author, A Guide to Mental Disorder Law in Canadian Criminal Justice (2020)
- Secretary, Women in Canadian Criminal Defence (WiCCD) (2022-)
- Women’s Director, Criminal Lawyers’ Association (2020-2021)
- Board Member, National Association of Rights Protection and Advocacy (NARPA) (2019-2022)
- Emeritus Board Member, NARPA (2023-)
- Board Member, Pilot Place Society (2019-)
- Co-Director, Mental Health Law Course within the Health Law Professional LLM, Osgoode PD (2023-)
- Obtained Certificate in Adjudication: Tribunals, Boards and Agencies, Osgoode PD and SOAR (2018)
- Called to the Nunavut Law Society (2014)
- Called to the Ontario Bar (1992)
- U of T Law grad (1990)
- Sole practitioner (8 years: 1994-2001)
- Partner in small law firm (Hiltz Szigeti) 2002-2013
- Sole Practitioner Again (10 years and counting) this time complete with Associates, Articling Students, Legal Support Staff and Office Manager
- New Firm: Anita Szigeti Advocates (2013 – )
- Mom to two astonishing kids, Scarlett (21) and Sebastian (18)
- (Founder) and Secretary of Women in Canadian Criminal Defence (WiCCD) (2022)
- (Founder) and President of Law and Mental Disorder Association (LAMDA) (2017)
- (Founding) Chair of Mental Health Legal Committee for ten years (1997 to 2007)
- CLA Member since 2009
- CLA Toronto Director 2013 – 2019
- CLA’s Chair of Mental Disorder Portfolio 2013 – 2019
- CLA’s Women’s Director December 1 2020 – November 2021
- Counsel to clients with serious mental health issues before administrative tribunals (CCB and ORB) and on appeals (SCJ and Ontario Court of Appeal)
- Supreme Court of Canada appearances acting as amicus curiae, for parties and interveners
- (Founding) program coordinator and member, Amicus Curiae program for mental disorder appeals in the Court of Appeal for Ontario (2000 – 2014)
- (Founding) Chair and former member of LAO’s mental health law advisory committee
- Educator, lecturer, widely published author (including five text books on the law of mental health / mental disorder / and on consent and capacity law)
- 30+ years experience as counsel to almost exclusively legally aided clients
- Frequently appointed amicus curiae
- Fearless advocate
- Not entirely humourless
Highlights of Professional Achievements Profile
Anita Szigeti has practised law in Ontario for more than 30 years.
She is one of a handful of recognized experts on the law of mental disorder, both in the civil and criminal justice streams. All of her clients, by definition, have experienced some serious mental health issues and come into contact with the law. They are almost exclusively legally aided. Despite this, Anita remains reasonably good humoured most days and occasionally publishes books (through LexisNexis), gives a lot of speeches and writes a lot of papers.
Anita has previously been honoured and privileged to serve as Chair of the Mental Health Legal Committee, Chair of Legal Aid’s Advisory on Mental Health, Facilitator of the Amicus Curiae Program for mental disorder appeals in the Court of Appeal, among other things. She joined the Criminal Lawyers’ Association in 2009 and has since acted as counsel to the Association on a number of matters, including a lengthy Inquest. She served for six years as a Toronto Director of the Association and Chair of its Mental Disorder Portfolio. In 2020, she re-joined the CLA’s Board as the Women’s Director. Anita is the founder and President of an umbrella advocacy association of lawyers, the Law and Mental Disorder Association (LAMDA) which brings together civil and criminal lawyers who practise mental health law. Anita also sits on several other Boards including as the sole Canadian representative on NARPA’s Board (the National Association of Rights Protection and Advocacy – based in Colorado) and Pilot Place Society (a not for profit 24/7 supervised housing service provider in Toronto.) In January of 2022, Anita and her colleagues formed Women in Canadian Criminal Defence (WiCCD),a national organization for women and gender non-conforming criminal defence lawyers. She currently serves as Secretary on the founding Executive of WiCCD.
Anita is often counsel on high profile Inquests and has appeared on hundreds of appeals, both in the Court of Appeal for Ontario and more than a dozen times in the Supreme Court of Canada.
Anita is proud to work in a three – lawyer, seven person firm known as Anita Szigeti Advocates. Happiest in the Courtroom, she is found there almost every day. She is perhaps most proud of having mentored two generations of lawyers, so far.
LINKS:
BUY STUFF – SHOP ANITA’s BOOKS:
HOT OFF THE PRESSES – SEPTEMBER 2024!
Now Available – Order the New CAMHL Volume Here:
Screenshot
Law and Mental Health in Canada: Cases and Materials
A Guide to Consent and Capacity Law In Ontario, 2025 20th Anniversary Edition
Halsbury’s Laws of Canada – Mental Health (2023 Reissue)
The Guide to Mental Disorder Law in Canadian Criminal Justice
LISTEN TO STUFF – ANITA’S PODCASTS
Disability Rights and the Charter on U of T Faculty of Law Asper Centre’s Charter a Course Podcast
Ontario Coroner’s Inquests Where Mental Health is an Issue – LexisNexis Legal Podcasts
Practising Mental Health Law – LexisNexis Legal Podcasts
Probably my favourite thing I ever did – my Robichaud’s Of Counsel interview with Sean Robichaud on April 25, 2018
I appreciated the opportunity to speak out about my client, Camelott Hamblett’s case on Metro Morning with David Common on Monday, Jan 12, 2026.
WEBINARS
Administrative Tribunal Litigation and Mental Health — 1.0 hr Substantive CPD available – Ontario
Crossroads of Bail, Sentencing and Indigenous clients — 1.0 hr Substantive CPD Available – Ontario
PODCASTS
Practising Mental Health Law — 1.0 hr Substantive CPD Available – Ontario
Ontario Coroner’s Inquests and Mental Health – 0.5 hr Substantive CPD available – Ontario
Another favourite moment in time, my Inaugural CLA Women’s Ask Me Anything Appearance
WiCCD’s Series Premier — “Finding Your Niche” – Inaugural Guest on Mental Health Justice Litigation
Legal Aid Ontario’s Lunch and Learn Webinar Series on Representing clients at the CCB
Representing Clients with Matters Before the CCB. Practicing before the CCB Client Advocacy
The Need for Empathy in Mental Health Law – Anita Nowak’s Purposeful Empathy Podcast Series
Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/purposeful-empathy-with-anita-nowak/id1528606164
CIAJ’s 2018 Conference: Panel on Stigmatization and Social Exclusion
Anita on Justice in Pieces with J.P. Rodrigues
Who Cares About Amicus?? The case of Kahsai
Who Cares About Prisoners’ Lives?? A Closer Look at the Faqiri Inquest
Who Cares About Inquests?? Police Involved Deaths of Persons in Crisis
Who Cares about Expert Testimony?? After Nettleton and Hason
Who Cares about Interveners??
Who Cares about the Court of Appeal for Ontario’s Rosenberg Mentorship Moot??
Who Cares about the Abdi Inquest??
Who Cares about WiCCD?? The Third Anniversary Update Special
WiCCD Presents: Upcoming Mental Health Law Resources with Dr. Ruby Dhand and Anita Szigeti (April 20 2025)
Who Cares about Fitness and NCR – Bharwani in the SCC
The Law Society’s CEO Salary Scandal
A History and Future of Legal and Peer Advocacy in the Forensic System in Ontario
Bonnie Burstow’s Book Launch (2015)
READ MORE – BLOG POSTS ABOUT ANITA
Women Leading In Law – Anita Szigeti on Erin Cowling’s Blog
IN THE NEWS
On TVO’s THE AGENDA with Steve Paikin – Mental Illness in the Family – 2012
Discussing the Minassian Trial – Video No Longer Available
JOIN LIKE-MINDED LAWYERS – ANITA’s ORGANIZATIONs
LAMDA
Check out Law and Mental Disorder Association Canada (LAMDA CANADA)
On twitter @LAMDACANADA https://twitter.com/home
Apply for membership by completing this quick form: https://forms.gle/9Jmy8sr9KMgChUSx9
Contact Exec at lamda.exec@gmail.com with a copy to student@asabarristers.com
WiCCD
Follow Women in Canadian Criminal Defence (WiCCD)
Learn all about WiCCD, where we’ve been and where we’re going!
Watch as WiCCD celebrates Maya Shukairy, WiCCD’s First Wonder Award Recipient during our first “Alumnae” Reunion of Leading Women Defence Counsel featured on our FYN series
Watch the Welcome Intro and Our Opening Panel at Our Mental Disorder Law Conference
Anita’s First Interview as HOST – A conversation with Kyla Lee
SHE CARES Episode #50 About the Pinpoint Method of Cross-examination
Check out WiCCD’s Linktree for upcoming programs and link to socials as well as how to join us!
on twitter @WICCD_Canada https://twitter.com/WICCD_Canada
Apply for membership by completing this quick form: https://forms.gle/RYv6381eTQBME3aK6
WiCCD has exciting programs and a growing presence on social media. Learn about us here:
For more information or to express an interest in joining contact the Exec at
WICCD.womendefencelawyerscanada@gmail.com
Here is a nice Feature of Anita by the wonderful Naomi Sayers!
anitaszigeti 
I am so humbled by your most sincere and beautiful advocacy of people who stuggle in a systematically flawed system of mental health care. Thank you for your tenacious work.
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Ms.Szigeti was the counsel for my son who was up for a community TO review and his current doctor wanted to continue the CTO, but Ms.Szigeti valiantly fought for my son despite his doctors strong dispproval..he wanted theCTO to go on indefinitely. Anita worked brilliantly that day. To this day my son is as well as he could be facing his challenge and doing his best. A true advocate for those who can’t defend themselves due to the nature of their illness.
Jacque
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Anita represented me during my ncr days and was the most intelligent, nice yet aggressive lawyer out there. She will have all of your charts read…she will end up knowing you, the accused, (the victim of a subjective money grabbing system), more than you know yourself. She pointed out that the orb weren’t complying with law book rules in my situation. So we filed an appeal and I won my freedom based on a code that was mentioned at my previous hearing that was illegal ignored by the Ontario review board. She is keen on controlling and expressing herself as well. Her emotional impact is logical and demands fairness. She is the best mental health lawyer in Canada no doubt. She gives it her all for your case. She’s not a magician, she is jusr prepared to the max. The utmost most knowledgeable lawyer on mental health. Unlike most other lawyers who do mental health on the side without ‘working’, (at all on client’s behalf), Anita takes things seriously and would never ‘dump truck’ you like the aforementioned other lawyers out there. And she’s not in the club where money dictates ‘justice’. She will do legal aid, will travel to another city to see you and is your only fair fighting chance at getting out of being trapped by the often unfair slow snake-like deceptive mental health system Business. (i.e. ncr status)
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